The Mind of a Yandere
by Zacaro
Summary: Since the second I first saw my precious Senpai, I've fallen desperately in love with him. He is cute, handsome, kind, and most importantly, mine. But now, people are actually daring to take him away from me, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy making them suffer. Senpai is mine, he doesn't have a choice. [32% Complete]
1. Preview

**Hello and welcome to this story!**

 **This story is based on the upcoming game 'Yandere Simulator'. The story will be following** _ **most**_ **of what happens in the game, but will change a few things around.**

 **I do not own Yandere Simulator. It all belongs to YandereDev.**

 **I hope you enjoy~! C:**

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I can't feel anything.

As far as my memory can pan back, I haven't been able to feel any sort of emotions.

I take regular walks across the pavement sitting by the road right outside my house, looking at people, observing them. They smile, giggle, and chat to one another. They don't need a reason to talk, they don't need a reason to act so happy, they just do it.

Human nature, they call it. Humans are social creatures. I've heard that statement one too many times.

I've also watched sadness from afar. They would never notice, of course. I'm far too careful. They would stand there, holding themselves for comfort. Letting tears run down their cheeks as they would howl the most annoying sound I've ever let my ears go through, crying.

It's so pitiful, but apparently these emotions are normal, and they're mandatory to be human. So, what does that make me? If not human, then what am I?

Wondering the answer to these questions is a rarity, but it does happen more times than I would prefer. Still, having no emotions doesn't bother me. I'm fine with it. I resigned myself to the fact that I just wasn't like anyone else, I just couldn't feel the emotions other people do.

But that all changed when I met…him.

My Senpai.

The moment I first laid my eyes upon him, my heart raced and I could feel its sending a wonderful sensation all around my body, I stared happily into his deep, black eyes and felt myself almost falling in. My hands wouldn't stop shaking, my heart felt like it was about to leap out of my throat, and I could barely move myself, paralysed by his charm.

We didn't exchange any words, we simply walked past each other and the magical sensation gradually left me, leaving me cold again, I couldn't feel that warmth anymore.

That sensation, I finally realized what I had been missing.

I felt love.

It was extraordinary, and incredibly addictive. It was something I had quickly began to feel a craving for, simply thinking about him wasn't enough to satisfy me after a while. I needed more, I needed more of my Senpai.

So, I worked hard to find anything that would satisfy this new craving for him. I once grabbed a plaster he had used on his finger out of the bin, I was appalled. How could such a treasure such as that be so easily discarded?

And another time, I was blessed to find an apple that Senpai had taken a single bite out of! I still enjoy pressing my dry lips to where his mouth had once been and licking away at it, hoping that there was still some of his saliva left on it to swallow down.

I kept trying to get these precious treasures from my Senpai without him noticing, and for a while that was how my daily routine went like.

But soon that happiness was torn away brutally from me.

I was on one of my regular walks, following my Senpai from afar, making sure he didn't see me. You know, just any other day.

But then I saw him stop, his expression was cheerful, which immediately gave me that amazing sensation again. However, that all ended the second my observant eyes caught her. A girl, bright hair in pigtails and a skip in her step. She rushed up to _my_ Senpai, she actually dared to do that, and started talking to him. They walked off together, with that woman sticking close by his side.

It was at that moment I had the displeasure of experiencing another emotion.

Rage.

I could feel my body burning up, not that warm, fuzzy feeling of love, it was boiling, sizziling through me from head-to-toe. I couldn't stand still, I could feel my head twitch from side to side involuntarily. This emotion wasn't even slightly pleasurable. I felt the desire to attack.

Along with craving for Senpai, I now also felt an unshakable craving for blood. I wanted to see her scream, to watch her suffer, to pull out her pretty little hair, one strand at a time. I wanted to rip her eyeballs out and feed it to her, I wanted to cut her tongue out, the tongue that allowed her to actually make a conversation with _my_ Senpai, I wanted to grab her heart and force it out of her chest, letting her last seconds be watching her own heart beating weakly in front of her.

I wanted to kill her.

I still do.

She wants him, it's so painfully obvious to see. But she can't have him, she could never appreciate him like I do, she could never treat him like I do, she could _never_ love him like I do. He's mine and mine alone, and whoever tries to change that will feel the agonizing force of my rage. I don't care who it is, I don't care what they mean to my Senpai, if they come between him and I…they will die.

I'll do absolutely anything for him, he is my everything. He is the sole reason I breathe, the reason I live. We are meant for each other, it's fate for us two to be together. Nothing and no one else matters.

Senpai will be mine.

 **He doesn't have a choice.**


	2. No 1: Let The Games Begin

**Oh boy, this is yet another one-shot that I cannot help but continue.**

 **It's all thanks to your feedback and support, and I seriously love you for it! I really love writing this kind of story and it seemed you liked the preview, so here we go!**

 **Just in case you didn't guess this already, I have to warn you, there's going to be plenty of blood and gore. There will be some pretty sadistic stuff here, so user discretion is advised.**

 **Special thanks to Shirou-kun, Miss Storyholic, and ThiefofStealth for following and/or favouriting! It means a whole lot to me and it's because of you that is story is continuing, thank you for your amazing support and feedback! C:**

 **Disclaimer: I'm not as messed up as the narration may imply. Only the main character in this story is, I swear.**

 **Feedback is always welcome~! C:**

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The morning starts off slowly for me, the clock on the wall just ticking away time. My alarm had already gone off five minutes ago, but I need more time to just lie her and rest, not sleeping, just a short rest.

My black, long hair is a mess, spread all over my pillow, and there was drops of drool on the right edge of my mouth. I couldn't help it, I had yet another wonderful, magical dream of Senpai. We were holding hands, smiling and giggling, enjoying each other's company. He would buy a snack for himself, and ask me to feed him, I'd hold the snack in both of my hands and carefully place it into his mouth, watching his beautiful, shining, white teeth sink into it with each bite.

I wipe my left hand over my mouth to get the drool off, it's quite a bit, and I need to reach for a tissue box on the tiny table beside my bed to get the rest of it. My body feels restless, this is the first day of my brave journey into Senpai's heart. I won't fail like other girls have when trying to confess to the love of their lives, because unlike them, I'm ready to go to any lengths.

I lift myself and sit up on my bed, the sun's bright rays are making their way through my blue curtains and lighting up my bedroom, it's irritating. I glance around my room, seeing just how clean and organized it is. I've always done things carefully and with organization, everything has its own place in my room. My bed against one of the walls, my wardrobe in the corner, the Senpai shrine right next to my bed, where I can admire it whenever I need to, which seems to be always, recently.

I stand on my feet and feel my blood flowing through my body, I thought I would feel anxious about today, but I've yet to feel _that_ emotion, which I'm sure is an advantage. I grab my school uniform out of the wardrobe and slide off my blue pyjamas, with pink dots scattered all over it, and cover myself with the new set of clothes that have been given to me by the school. I wander over to my mirror, which is on the doors of my wardrobe, and stare at myself. This is me. I look nothing like the others. Yes, I'm wearing the exact same white and red uniform as the other girls, and yes, I've got my hair into a ponytail as a lot of other students do, but I look different. It's my expression, the one I've yet to be able to change.

It's this expression that sometimes causes people to get uncomfortable around me, or walk over to me and ask what's wrong. Nothing is wrong. There's nothing wrong with me. This is how I normally look. But, I can see where their foolish concern can come from. My eyes are blank and tired, as though I'm constantly bored or about to burst into tears, and it doesn't settle well with other people in public, which is why I've perfected the arts of putting on facades for people. It's not difficult in the slightest, nor bothersome.

Someone like me has to learn to put this façade on at any time, if they want to be accepted into society, which I don't. Still, it's useful since it's the only time where people won't be shooting daggers at me with their stares or stopping me in my tracks to ask if I need help. I would usually plaster on a fake smile, making me look like the most cheerful person on the block, and greet random strangers politely. They would return my smile and whisper to each other just how kind people were in this town.

If only they knew the truth.

If only they knew that it was all for show, to get them to look the other way and see me as normal, to fool them into thinking I was actually one of them. I'd love to see the look on their face, to know that the cheerful girl from across the road was actually an emotionless puppet on the inside. I wonder how they would react? Would they avoid me and attempt to not engage in eye contact? Would they spread rumours about me? I cannot allow that, I couldn't be less concerned about what they thought of me, but if Senpai heard the terrible rumours that could be made about me…

No, that won't happen. Senpai will never have a bad view about me, I must be conscientious and tentative about his opinion on me. My image, at least to the precious love of my life, is important.

I walk over to the Senpai shrine I once spent a whole day to make and improve. It holds a clear picture I had taken of him from behind a tree, an apple with his bite marks, his bloody plaster, a strand of his hair that was on his desk, a booger he had flicked out of his nose in the men's bathroom.

I need my daily fix, I want to keep these treasures safe and not in my stomach, but I just cannot help it. I need more of him inside me, the craving just simply won't leave me.

I pick up the still-slimy, green booger and allow it to sit in the palm of my right hand. This was really it, it was a part of him. A part of Senpai. This treasure had actually once been in that perfect nose of his. I place it onto my eyes, feeling its bumpy texture, before dropping on my tongue and savouring the flavour. It tastes wonderful, sweet, and crunchy.

I don't want to swallow it, I want it to stay in my mouth forever, but I know I can't. I gulp the treasure down and momentarily have a genuine smile on my face. It's so incredibly rare to feel such happiness, and I actually wish I could experience it forever, this joy of having parts of Senpai to enjoy.

There, I've woken up, gotten myself dressed, had my daily fix of something from Senpai, it's time to go to school.

Both of my parents are away on a business trip for a full week, so getting there by car isn't an option, and I don't want to call for a taxi either. They always try to chat and start a friendly convseration, completely and utterly oblivious about just how irritating they are. No, I'm not talking a taxi. Bicycle? I have one of those, but I'm not in the mood for cycling, so walking it is.

My school, Akademi High, isn't that far away, so it won't be a problem, and it's less frustrating than talking to taxi drivers. All I need to do to people in public is look normal and in a hurry, then everyone will leave me alone. Just smile and do a light jog, that's all.

I leave my bedroom, sending a quick kiss to my Senpai shrine, and walk down the stairs, leaving the front door and closing it firmly behind me. The sun now has its chance to fully show just how bright it is now that my curtains aren't in its way, and I have to squint my eyes and start moving so that its shine isn't constantly bothering me. Still, it isn't warm, the atmosphere is calm and there's a cool breeze brushing against me, flinging my skirt upwards and exposing my pink panties with a picture of a cute tiger at the back. This is usually the moment where any other girl would notice her shirt going up and would push it back down forcefully, with a tint of red on her cheeks as she blushes. It doesn't bother me though, I allow the wind to do whatever it wants and ignore the fact that already a couple of people have glanced at me with raised eyebrows. I know I need to imitate other girls' behaviour in order to not stand at, but I simply don't feel embarrassed like they do.

I walk down the block, a fast pace so that I'm not late to the school, and look in the sights. All the houses next to reach other, going down the road with no end in sight, all these people living in such a small town, just my luck.

The sound of a meow stops me dead in my tracks, immediately sending a shiver up my spine.

I'm not afraid of the sound of meowing, nor afraid of actual cats, I just wasn't expecting it. I turn my head over to the right and lower it to see an adult, black cat sitting down next to a fence, its tail wagging from side-to-side. That's another thing about this town, it's infested by cats. No matter what street you travel on, there will always be a large number of cats to encounter on your way. I don't mind them, although this black cat is no stranger to me. He or she greets me every morning I decide to walk by a simple meow, and nothing more. I don't know why it does that, cats don't usually care for people, and run away when seeing them, but this one seemed to like me.

I don't like the cat back, but it's slightly interesting to know that it recognizes me every time, so I look back at it for a few seconds before moving on.

My school bag is hanging over my right shoulder, dragging me down with its unbelievable weight. I don't even need all of these books, I don't need anything that lessons could teach me that would help me get closer to Senpai, which is all that matters. Though, I still have to bring them and study in class, or at least pretend to, in order to not rouse suspicion. My main goal is to just stay under the radar while also getting closer to my one true love, and with my talents, it shouldn't be all that difficult to pull off.

Hopefully, I can find some things that Senpai drops again, I could always collect more invaluable treasures from him, so I'll keep my eyes peeled.

I suddenly feel a violent vibration erupting inside of my bag, it causes the entire bag to start shaking, and the familiar sounds of crickets causes me to realize what it is. It's my phone.

I place my bag on the ground, kneel down to open the zip, and pull my phone out of the piles of book it's companied with. I stare at the screen and expect it to be my mother or father, since they call me from abroad quite regularly.

No, it's not them, but it doesn't display random number either, it just says 'unknown number' with the option to reject the call not present, only the green answer button. Is my phone broken? No, it cannot be. I haven't done anything that could have damaged it, I'll take the call.

I press my index finger onto the answer option and place the phone onto my left ear, there's no voice speaking for a few seconds so I decide to be the first one to speak.

"Hello?" I mutter quietly, trying my absolute best to not make my voice sound like I was about to die inside, but I don't think I succeeded. The other side of the call stays silent for a little while longer, but eventually I hear a female's voice whisper.

"Is this line secure?"

"Um, what?"

The female voice sighs in annoyance and starts to speak very slowly.

"Is. This. Line. Secure?"

I glance around myself, hoping to see an ordinary girl staring at me from far away with a cheeky smile on her face, then I'd know that this was just a prank call, but I see nothing. I reply the most normal way I can but it still sounds like a reanimated corpse speaking again after being dead for millions of years.

"I suppose so, who is this? Are you the one who has broken my phone?"

The voice breaks out of a whisper and is replaced by an upbeat, energetic giggle.

"Oh, you mean making it so you had to answer some point or another? Nah, trust me, your phone isn't broken. I just had it…tweaked slightly, you know?"

"Who are you?" I question her, forcing this woman to get straight to the point and then leave me alone. I swing my bag over my shoulder and start walking again, I won't stop moving just for one phone call.

"Why did you do that? What do you want from me?"

"…I saw you stalking a male student from Akademi High the other day." She cheers smugly, jumping straight to the point. It doesn't faze me. This won't be a problem.

"So? Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, not at all. I just wanted to give you about the girl he was with, since you seemed so interested about her. Her name is Osana Najimi, she has a crush on him."

I feel my heart almost sink down my body once I hear that statement, I had always suspected that she was going to try to take Senpai away from me, but just hearing someone say that, it's overwhelming.

"I…I-" I mumble into the phone, hesitating and stuttering. I truly don't know what to do, my entire body is starting to shake and shiver again, and that hateful emotion takes over me, rage.

"I also know that she believes in the ancient myth about the cheery tree behind the building of the school."

"The one where if you confess in your love on a Friday, it's guaranteed that they will accept your love?"

"Yep, that's the one, and since she's head-over-heels in love with that boy, you can guess what she's planning to do _this_ Friday."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Let's just say…I wouldn't mind if something bad happened to Osana, and I think you're the perfect person to give her what she deserves."

"Just, who are you?"

The voice stays silent for a couple of moments now, a quiet hum could be heard on the other end of the line. She was obviously thinking about what she wanted me to address her by.

"I'm simply known as 'Info-chan' at school." She eventually informs me, I frown at the nickname, I recognize it.

"I've heard rumours about you, you blackmail other students and sell panty shots of them to boys for money."

"That's right, and if you ever need a favour from me, I'm always looking for more panty shots to add to the collection, and I'll tell you more about any student if you send me a picture of them."

I cannot help it, this person's logic is absurd and she's simply far too replusive, a rude remark bursts out of my mouth.

"You're disgusting,"

"And you're no better," She snaps back in response, not seeming even slightly fazed by the insult, she must be used to them. But why is she saying there's something wrong with me too? Does she…know?

"Anyway," She continues without waiting for a reply from me. "If you ever require my help on your 'mission', just text me, I'd be happy to comply…for something in return, of course. You've got one week to make that boy yours, good luck."

And then the line goes dead, she hangs up and I'm left staring at the blank screen of my phone. Who was that girl? I know she goes to Akademi High just like I do, but why does she wish for Osana Najimi to suffer, and why does she want to help me?

It's most likely that she's been stalking me the same way I've been following after Senpai, and she sees me as her best supply for panty shots, since I _do_ need a bit of help along the way. My plan is pretty simple, make anyone who tries to get in the way of Senpai and I suffer, but I'll need assistance to keep myself clean and organized.

I glance over at the large gates in front of me, I'm finally here. There's a pathway surrounded by pink, cherry blossom trees, and a fountain in the middle. The pink leaves sway from left to right and dance in the air as they detach from their branch.

It seems I'm early, no one else is here yet. Good, that gives me some time to clear my head and decide what to do next.

This…'Osana Najimi' is my main target, but there's no doubt that others will dare to get in my way, and they'll meet the same fate as hers.

I walk through the gates and onto the pathway, staring quietly and observantly at the cherry blossom trees and taking it all in. Today is the first day, where it all begins. At the end of all of this, Senpai will be mine for good, so this will all be worth it.

I hear footsteps coming from behind, and I instinctively jog towards the nearest tree and use it as cover. It will be most wisest to not let anyone know I'm at school yet and-

No, it's not anyone I would despise to lay eyes upon. It's a boy. Tall, handsome, with dreamy black eyes and a confident grin. He wanders through the front gates and looks around, before pulling out a small book from his bag and skimming through its contents.

It's him.

It's Senpai.

I suddenly feel the sensation of wetness on my face, I'm drooling once more. I smear it off with my hands and glare at Senpai, completely unable to take my eyes off of him again.

If only he knew that soon he would be mine. That at the end of this week, we'd be in each other's arms without anyone to bother us.

The school bells begin to ring and shriek, filling the entire area with its noise, and I gradually see more and more people walk through the school gates.

I cannot hold it in, I allow a grin to spread along my face as my heartbeat begins to race once more.

It all starts now.


	3. No 2: On The Hunt

**Hello all, here is chapter 3!**

 **Special thanks to BioJake, Lulu-kohai, Don't question it, Hooddies and JohnDoe777 for following/favouriting/reviewing. I appreciate it, thank you for keeping this story alive.**

 **Feedback is always welcome~! C:**

* * *

Happiness. It's all I can see.

No matter what direct I look at, I only see happiness amongst the students. They rush through the front gates with smiles on their faces, chatting to friends and admiring the view of the pink cherry blossom trees. Do I envy them? Do I envy their different personalities? Of course not, they're weaker, more feeble. They care about their friends, about other people's wellbeing, about their own image.

And they care so much about death, which is exactly what I don't need right now. I don't need to worry about death's, they're only just statistics.

I wander aimlessly to the fountain, it sprinkles water around elegantly, catching the eyes of other students. I can see my own reflection in the rippling water, I don't look good. No smile to be found. That needs to change, I need to be under the radar.

I put on the most genuine-looking smile I can muster, and start walking to the entrance of the school, where the lockers are located. There are many rows of them, but I remember my locker well and find it. There's no need to open it up though, it's empty. I haven't put anything in it. It sometimes acts as a temporarily storage for treasures I collect for Senpai, though that's pretty much it's only use.

Everyone else, including Senpai, starts to head for their lockers too, but Senpai's is far away from mine. I can't properly see him behind the two rows of lockers between us. I almost want to scream with frustration, but I obviously have to pretend like it means nothing. As much as it pains me to do so, I need to act like I'm not interested in him so that others don't catch on. They'll get suspicious if I hang around him all the time, and suspicion is the last thing I need.

I open my locker and slide my schoolbag inside, but take my phone out of it first. I'll need it, I can use Info-chan to make things easier for myself. She's disgusting and mysterious, but she's still useful to me. I hold out my phone in front of me and check the time, I still have ten minutes until classes begin. Good. I can start to scout the area. It's always good to know your surroundings, and I'll need to memorize them for the mission.

I already know where most things are, such as the gym, and I also know how the building is, how many floors it has and everything else. There's also plenty of garbage bins to…dispose of whatever doesn't need to be seen by others.

I cannot see I have a good idea of where the location of each student is, most of the girls are standing together chatting outside the classrooms, and believe a few of them also hang out in the computer room two floors up. I don't know their names, it isn't important. All that mattered to me all this time was Senpai, though I suppose know I have to know their names. Pretend to be normal.

I already know the name of the girl that's trying to take my precious Senpai away from me, Osana, as Info-chan told me. I'll need help finding out the names of all the other students too, though I don't think it would be considered normal to just walk up to them and ask their names. Most of them aren't new to this school, they'll question why I don't know them.

I wonder what this Osana girl is like though, as a childhood friend of Senpai. As repulsive as she is, I'll need more information on her, it's necessary. I'll also have to keep an eye out for the teachers, most of them are very observant, which is not to my advantage. Teacher's pets will be a hassle as well, though I'm sure I'll be able to silence them if they happen to try to reveal me and my intentions.

My phone starts to vibrate, and I already know who it is. She's early with her texts, she must be just as eager as me to get to work. I flip my phone open and stare at the words displayed on the screen, making sure to cover it slightly with my sleeve, I don't need anyone else reading this.

"Morning, did you sleep well?" It writes in bold letters in the text message, I decide to skip the idle chit-chat and start speaking seriously.

"I'll get you your pictures, so tell me about the students individually." I text back, quite slowly as I'm not really used to texting, there really isn't much of an opportunity for that.

"Sure, just get me a clear shot of their face." Info-chan texts back almost immediately, she's obviously much faster at typing than I am.

I look around myself once more, holding my phone firmly against my hip, trying to find someone that wasn't standing in a crowd, an odd one out. It would immediately rouse suspicion if people caught me taking pictures of other students. I need to be discreet.

I don't see anyone in particular, everyone is standing around each other, except Senpai who has already left the doors of the building again to sit next to one of the cherry blossom trees. I'd love to sit there with him. I would rest my head against his shoulders, embracing his precious warmth, listening to that exquisite voice of his as though it was music to my ears.

And one day, that's exactly what I'll be doing, even if a mountain of corpses will be underneath the two of us.

I scan the lockers once more, hoping that someone would stand by themselves, but I see nothing. No one was going to budge until the school bells rang to let everyone know it's schooltime, which I'm not fond of or looking forward to. Classes are meaningless. It's all so empty. It would be far more tolerable if Senpai was in the same class as me, then I could lay eyes on his perfect face and picture it in my mind so that my dreams of him would be as accurate as possible. But alas, he's an upperclassmen, I won't be getting that pleasure.

I suppose it could help me with getting into the teacher's good books, so she won't be keeping a close eye on me, that would definitely take a load of my back.

My phone starts vibrating in my hands again, she's getting impatient, but she'll have to wait a while longer. This kind of work isn't something that can be rushed, as much as I'd love it to be so.

I slowly begin to walk towards all of the girls huddled around together, chatting like there's no tomorrow. I need to speak to them, to make them think that I'm just another friendly student, but I'll also need to think of a proper approach to make it seem normal. I can't just casually walk up to them and declare myself one of them, they won't take something like that lightly. Perhaps I could fall over, pretending that it was an accident? Knowing their soft, weak hearts, they'll rush over and help me up, and that would be the perfect opportunity.

No, they might not notice, or even care. That would set me a strange position.

I know what is to be done. I'll act shy. That always works. It will answer their question of why I haven't approached them yet, and they'll immediately feel the urge to talk to me. People are a real sucker for it.

I reach the group, they're standing in a circle, and they don't even notice me. One or two of them glance over at me for a moment, but then they quickly redirect their attention back to their friends. I need to properly get talking with them.

And then another façade is thrown onto my face. My face becomes tinted red, I'm hunching over slightly with an anxious expression on, and I start pressing my index fingers against each other nervously. This is the best I can act, and they immediately buy it. I tap one of the girl's shoulders, she turns around, and I know now that this will be easier than I ever imagined.

"H-Hello…" I mumble in the sweetest voice I can fake.

The girl with short, red hair and a single pigtail on the right side eyes me for a couple of seconds, deciding if she bought my act or not.

"Hey, what's up?" She eventually responds in a friendly manner, and all of the other girls decide to look at me too. I've got her now. Hook, line, sinker.

"I…I just wanted to say…that I think…you all look nice today…" I stutter, turning my face a shade darker, emphasising how embarrassed I'm supposed to be. Another girl with purple-coloured hair worn in two drill pigtails and a smile on her face as she rushes up to me, clasps my hands in hers, and giggles.

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest thing ever! What's your name?" She questions me in a laugh, I don't wish to tell them my name, but it would seem strange not to, and I've already fooled them.

"A-Ayano…Aishi…" I whisper, sticking faithfully to the shy act I had conjured up. They're so incredibly gullible that I cannot help but feel utterly disgusted, they only see what they want to see in people.

They don't see the empty puppet I am inside, because they don't want to see it. Perhaps they could see the real me if they looked hard enough, but they're so repulsive that they choose to only believe the false front people put on. I'm sure even they have false fronts too, with something that they wish to hide from the world no matter what. This is all just a game, and the winners are the ones that can hide their true selves the best.

"Thanks, Aishi-chan. You're really kind." The girl with purple hair smiles, a calm tone in her voice

"Yeah, and you're looking super cute today too!" The red-haired girl continues, she's annoyingly loud and an obvious liar. I don't look good at all. I've got dark spots under my eyes and I can barely carry myself around.

I've been deprived of my special time with Senpai, at this hour I would usually be hiding behind one of the blossom trees, taking pictures of him to savour forever. I feel awful inside, and I'm certain that it's showing on the outside as well. But this is just another thing that they want to see, the beauty on my façade.

The girls wait for a few silent moments, expecting me to say something else, but I don't bother. I'm really not interested in speaking with them anymore, just enough for them to believe that there's absolutely nothing wrong with me. That's all I was going for, and that will be plenty to carry on my plan.

"So…" The purple-haired girl starts to trail off, eyeing the other girls to see if they were going to say something, but they've decided to just stare at me now. I shouldn't have stayed quiet, they're beginning to wonder why I haven't said anything else. "…do you know my name?"

I look at her with an uncertain expression on my face, was this a test, or was she genuinely curious? The truth is I have no clue, and I suppose I can't lie my way out of this.

"N-No…" I reply, fiddling with all of my fingers as though I was truly ashamed of myself. "…I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine! We haven't had the chance to talk properly before, and we're not in the same class, I understand. The name's Kokona, though you can just call me Haruka–chan. Pleasure to meet you!" She cheers, holding out her left hand for me to shake. I stare at her hand for a second, she's got very long fingernails and she's coloured them to a bright shade of pink, it doesn't look nice at all.

I shake her hand, and I'm sure to shake it gently. I return a shy smile to her and take a step back, the bells are starting to ring loudly across the entire school. It's time to get going.

Kokona Haruka and her pack of friends completely forget about me and start to rush towards their classroom. I have to get to mine as well, skipping class isn't permitted and the consquences are something I don't really need. I already know what my classroom is, it's class 2-1. The means it's at the second floor, and the first classroom you'll see.

I head to the stairs and go up them, not really in a rush though. I'm not excited about class at all, I'll just have to survive through it and hope it ends quickly. All the other students walk up the stairs at the same time as I do, making it pretty cramped. I see Senpai almost at the top of the stairs while I'm only at halfway. It makes me think of yet another wonderful situation of holding hands while we go to class, with him dropping me off at the second floor, whispering goodbye as he kisses my forehead. I'll have to remember that one, that will definitely be something we'll do once there's no one in our way.

Osana won't be a problem. I'll get rid of her.

I reach the top of the stairs and watch Senpai go up one more floor. It's at least comforting to know that he's just directly above me, it sets my heart and mind at rest.

The doors to class 2-1 are already open, and I step inside to see a bright smile on my teacher, she's here early than other teachers, it seems. I haven't seen her before, either I've never bothered to notice her or she's a new teacher, and considering her cheerful attitude, the latter seems far more likely. I give a quick smile back to her and to a few of the students that turn around in their seat and gaze at me.

My seat is right at the back, and I'm incredibly grateful for it. I stare out the window, seeing the familiar blossom trees below. The breeze is still brushing against them, making the leaves look like they're dancing in the air. I believe this is what they call 'the beauty of nature', but I don't see it. I glance over to the gates, the silver gates that were slowly beginning to close by the security guard.

Our school has only one security guard, and he's notorious for being far too old for his job. He's probably already in his seventies or eighties. He doesn't do much while on duty, he just opens or closes the gates, greets students as they enter, and naps during school time. It's quite hard to believe that the school hasn't bothered to higher their security, I wonder why the principal hasn't given the job of security guard, which also makes me wonder what the principal is like.

The teacher starts to babble on, introducing herself and saying how excited she is about teaching us, it's all rubbish. I decide that imagining what the principal was like would be more interesting, as I've never met him before. A few students has, and he does show himself during big school events, but I'm never there for that, and the handful of students who do him don't really talk much about him, as though there's not much to say. Is he that much of a simpleton? For whatever reason, I doubt that.

My eyes immediately land on a small figure that squeezes through the closing gates at the last second, the figure of a girl. She speaks nervously to the security guard, bowing her head down over and over apologetically. A female student that's late to school is my best guess, but something seems off.

The girl walks between the two rows of blossom tress, admires the fountain and walks to the entrance of the building.

That bright orange hair, that revolting, familiar smile that lurks in my worst nightmares, it's her.

Osana Najimi, she's at school, and she's skipping her way to the lockers. Just seeing her face again is sending shivers up and down my spine again. I look down at my hands, that are resting on the table, and watch them shake. It's obvious that it isn't just my hands that are shaking though, my entire body eventually starts to do the same. I need to eliminate her now. Not any other day, it needs to be today. I want her dead now.

I quickly stand up and out of my seat during the teacher's lecture, and everyone turns their heads around to glare at me, my chair made a lot of noise when I got up. I don't even bother with the façade anymore, I stare at the teacher firmly and point to the doors.

"Miss! I need to go to the bathroom!" I yell across the classroom, the teacher blinks at me with widened eyes, not sure how to respond. She eventually readjusts her glasses and nods slowly.

"S-Sure…" She permits, and I don't need to hear another word out of her, I rush across the room and leave, not closing the doors behind me. I've got no time for that. Osana is already late to class, she's going to hurry, which means I've got to do the same.

I cannot let her get to class, there's nothing I can do to her there. I need to intercept her at the stairs, then I'll be able to drag her somewhere secluded.

Wait, isn't this rushing things? Isn't this exactly what I promised myself not to do? This could ruin everything, I could get caught, I don't even have a plan on how to kill her, I don't have any kind of weapon in my possession.

But then I picture that nauseating face as hers and I know that none of that matters. All that matters is her death, damn the consequences.

I rush down the stairs and reach the bottom floor where the lockers are, she isn't here anymore. Where is she…?

Where is she?!

I try my best not to scream out in frustration, and scan the floor. There's traces of mud on it in the shape of shoes, footprints. It all makes sense now, Osana was in a hurry to get to school so of course there would be some mud on her shoes. I glare at the trails and deduct where she could possibly have gone next, the bathroom.

She needs to clean the mud off before she gets to class, wonderful.

I dart down the corridor with as much speed as my skinny legs can give me, and see the two bathrooms. I slide into the female's bathroom, heavily panting. My heart is racing and my head is beginning to twitch again. We're alone in the bathroom together, with no witnesses. It's the perfect opportunity. I slam the door to the bathroom behind me and walk over to the sinks, she's not there.

So she's stuck on one of the toilets, huh? How adorable of her to hide from me, it doesn't matter. There are only five toilets in total, and I know for certainty that none of them have locks, the school never bothered spending money on trivial things like that.

"Nowhere to run, Osana? Who are you running from, anyway? Me? Do you somehow already know that I'm after your life?" I cackle, my tone is something I've never heard out of my own mouth, but it blurts out and I decide to go with it.

Silence. She must be paralysed in fear. Good.

I kick the door to the first toilet down, it's empty. I'm loving every second of this, she's in one of these and she's probably praying that I don't find her.

"You've stepped over the line. Senpai is mine and mine alone. Anyone who tries to take him away from me will die." I growl, my voice sounding far more angry than clever now.

I raises my left leg and forcefully kick down the second door, seeing no one inside. There's still silence in the bathroom, you could almost hear a pin drop whenever I wasn't speaking.

But then I start to hear quiet weeping, and it sounds wonderful. It's the second most enjoyable thing to listen to other than Senpai's voice.

She's in the last toilet, I'm sure that's where I heard the weeping. I wander over to it, savouring this sensation. I'll wrap my hand around that scrawny little neck until she goes red, then I'll stare into her frightened eyes just before she dies.

"I'll rip you apart, Osana!" I shriek, forcefully kicking down the door.

A girl is sitting on the toilet, hunched over and quivering with fear, and a phone resting in her hand. But it's not Osana.

I see dark blue hair and eyes instead of orange, I see utter fear on her face as she clutches her phone in both of her hands. She's terrified.

Osana wasn't the only one late to school, this girl was as well, and she's heard everything. This girl isn't my target, I don't' even know who she is, and now I'm standing in front of her with my thirst for blood gone.

"M-My name is Mei Mio, not Osana! L-Listen…whatever you have against her…it's got nothing to do with me! Let me leave!" She whimpers, looking at me with her frantic eyes, searching to see any weapon on me. I've got nothing.

I feel fear for the first time, it radiates through my body and almost forces me to throw up. I've thrown it all away, every chance I had at getting close to Senpai is gone. She already knows everything, about my intention to kill Osana Najimi, and about my love for Senpai.

She'll go to the police, she'll tell everyone that will listen to her, and I'll never have Senpai for myself. She'll…!

No, she'll do none of that.

A dead person can't talk.

I step closer to her, watch her slide further back on the toilet seat, and close the door behind me. She's not leaving this bathroom. I know I don't have anything to properly kill her with, and I haven't planned this ahead, so I can't make it look like a suicide or frame it on someone else. But I have no choice, I can't let her walk away from this, not now that she knows about my true nature.

I grab her by her neck before she can properly react and listen to her gasp for air.

I can't let there be any witnesses.

 **I can't.**


	4. No 3: My First Kill

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* * *

It's gruesome, utterly gruesome.

Have you ever seen someone choke painfully in front of you? It's not a pretty sight, let me assure you of that. Mei Mio squirms desperately on the toilet, her hands scratching away at the ones gripped around her neck.

I can feel her pulse from squeezing this skinny neck of hers, it's starting to become weak, and I can also feel her muscles wriggling around frantically. Mei Mio first gasps from her mouth, but then switches to her nose. She's really trying to find some kind of way to get oxygen into her, and she begins to kick at my stomach with her legs.

Even with kicks as feeble and pathetic as hers, the way her foot kept colliding into me causes me to also gasp at shout. I cannot breathe for a few moments, and my grip starts to loosen.

She's able to get in a breath of air for a second before my grip on her neck tightens up again.

She's kicking even more now, with more strength, she believes she still has a chance. That little breathing she was capable of doing while I was distracted by pain has convinced her that she still has a chance.

Little does she know that she's just added fuel to this raging fire inside my heart. I squeeze down harder on her skinny neck, and just as suspected, the piggy starts squealing again.

She thrashes around, thinking that she's putting up a decent fight. Her face is now tinted a light shade of purple, reassuring me that she's running low on air again. Her kicks to my chest, stomach, and even my face doesn't provoke a reaction from me anymore.

I can't feel pain, remorse, anxiety or anything else that I had been experiencing a moment ago. The only thought in my mind is Senpai. I picture his perfect, flawless face as Mei Mio drops to her knees and screams in agony.

He's so handsome, so wonderful, and I'm helping him! For the first time, I'm doing something for Senpai! It might not happen now, but one day he'll be so happy about what I've done for him, and he'll praise me!

He'll praise me, he'll love me, because there won't be anyone else to love, and he'll realize all of the work I've done for him. All of the nasty thoughts about why I shouldn't be killing Mio-chan has faded. Sure, my original target was Osana Najimi, but that doesn't make a difference. This changes nothing.

This changes nothing at all, Mei Mio is fairly pretty and relatively close to Senpai, she could very well try to make him hers one day, I'm simply taking care of another target. Osana's fate shall meet her another day.

Mio-chan is sliding off her knees and her eyelids are forcibly dropping down, she goes limp and drops to the wet floor of the bathroom. I let go of her neck and stare carefully at her chest, she's not breathing or moving anymore.

I did it. I killed someone. I just grabbed someone's neck and straggled them.

And it feels _wonderful._

Not the murder, there's nothing special about ordinary murder, but knowing that this means I'm one step closer to Senpai makes this particular murder magical. I've just realized it now, this is the first time I've actually killed.

I should pull out my phone and take a picture of this moment, the first time I've gotten rid of someone who could potentially take Senpai away. However, it would be risky to keep a picture like that. All connections of this murder to me must be destroyed or avoided.

There's one picture I can take without compromising myself though.

Info-chan told me that she wants panty shots of the girls, she never specified if the girl had to be alive or not.

I kneel down towards Mio-chan's corpse lying down near the toilet. She looks so peaceful, as though she's just sleeping. She's lucky, actually. I didn't have to torture her or anything, I gave her a simple death that will benefit my mission. I wouldn't call it a quick death, but hey, you can't want anything, isn't that right? Mio-chan?

I grab the edge of her wet skirt and flip it upwards, seeing the simple white panties underneath. There wasn't anything special about them, but I suppose Info-chan isn't going to be picky about such things.

I hold out my phone, select my camera, and take a flash photo. After a few seconds, the white panties are now on the device. I choose to send it to Info-chan immediately, and wait for a response.

There's no text, and she doesn't call me either. She must be busy now or something, but hopefully I'll get a reply from her soon.

I get back to my feet and glare at Mio-chan's corpse again. This is actually the most difficult part, how will I dispose this body or make it look like a suicide?

Framing this on someone else isn't an option for me right now, I don't know anyone well enough to find someone who would seem suspicious. I don't think disposing the body is smart either, I'm not sure how to do things like that yet.

My eyes glance over the toilet that Mio-chan was once using and stay on it, of course, the solution is staring me right in the face!

I grab hold of Mio-chan's dark blue and lift her by it, dumping her head into the toilet, the water splashes around as I dip her face inside it, but everything eventually settles. I then prop her body up to make her look like she was kneeling before the toilet.

It looks almost perfect, as though she decided to put her own face into the water of the toilet and drown herself by it. There's nothing more to do here, but I still need one more thing to make this untraceable as a murder.

A motive. Mio-chan doesn't, as far as I know, have a reason to kill herself. But, you know what? It's not really that important. As long as the police do not have a connection to a murderer, they'll have to accept Mio-chan's death as a suicide. I'll leave her motive of killing herself up to the theories and deductions of the super sleuths.

I open the door of the toilet and wander outside, still feeling rather dazed. I'm still having trouble believing this is all happening. I almost trip over myself as I walk to the mirrors of the female's bathroom. The mirrors are cloudy and murky, but I can still see myself in them.

It's not the same reflection I saw previously in the fountain outside of the school building. No, this person is different.

This girl doesn't look like she wants to curl up into a ball and cry, this girl doesn't look like she's an emotionless puppet on the inside.

This reflection stares right back at me through the mirror with her killer eyes, its pupils have shrunken down in size, with its head twitching violently from side to side. This reflection is me, and I can see the monster lurking inside that has now been unleashed.

I don't notice it at first and I didn't even mean for it to happen, but the mirror shows me something I'm not expecting. I'm smiling.

I'm actually smiling. This smile isn't a small one either, it's plastered all over my face from ear to ear. The smile only widens once I finally notice it, and I decide not to make it vanish just yet.

I raise my head to the sky, glaring at the ceiling above, and laugh in excitement. My laughter echoes entirely throughout the entire bathroom, and the reflection of myself in the mirror shows more of my monstrous side. I place my hands onto the sink in front of me and dig my fingernails into it.

I don't care about the blood spewing out of my fingertips now, I rip through the sink further and further, and my cackling only raises in volume.

I did it! I stepped over a potential rival, I crushed her! And that also means that no one knows about who I really am! _This is something to be celebrated!_

After all, a dead person can't tattle!

But not now, no. Right now, I'm Ayano Aishi, the innocent, shy girl that doesn't know any better. The normal girl who would never kill another person.

My laugh cuts itself short, and when I look at myself in the mirror again, the monster is gone. My head is still, my pupils are at normal size, and the smile has faded.

It was fun while it lasted, but I place my façade back on. The typical, happy-go-lucky expression that will be accepted by any fool in this school.

I start to whistle a little song as I exit the girl's bathroom, and I skip happily all the way to class.

* * *

Info-chan glared at the picture depicted in a bright light on her mobile's screen. She was originally happy about getting a panty shot of Mei Mio from her partner in crime, but upon further inspection of the photo she began to worry.

It was painfully obvious the girl in the picture was dead. She was lying on the floor with one of her eyes still slightly visible under her fallen eyelids. This girl had been killed, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who did the dirty deed.

She wasn't upset about her partner killing other people, that was completely to be expected, but it all seemed so careless.

"A girl already murdered on the first day of school, and the method of killing looks so sloppy. Aishi-chan is being quite reckless." Info-chan remarked as she sat on her bed, with a laptop sitting on her lap and her phone in her right hand. She sighed after a few seconds and turned off her phone.

"I know what she is on the inside, but she needs to keep it under control. The police might just suspect this of being a suicide, but it doesn't look good." She continues, opening up her laptop now.

The computer's screen was filled to the brim with documents and other files, she also had many tabs from the internet open. She had been doing a bit of research on her partner's, apparently named Ayano Aishi, background history.

But she found very little, much to her own surprise. It wasn't as though she couldn't find _anything_ , but she was definitely still in the dark about multiple things.

Info-chan was able to find out a lot about Ayano Aishi's father, but information about her mother was incredibly scarce. It bothered her. She wouldn't be able to let this go.

"Just what are you, or your mother, hiding from the world? I've gotten pretty intrigued now, Aishi-chan. Perhaps I should just ask you?" She giggled, talking to herself, alone in her own bedroom.

"No, you obviously wouldn't tell me, so I'm gonna pry a little further." She whispered, typing away on her laptop's keyboard. "But I need to be careful, you'll still be on your mission at school. No one knows my face, but I'm still connected to you every time I text you."

She readjusts her thick glasses and brings up clear, rare photo of Ayano Aishi's face onto her desktop, she stares at the picture for a while, almost fascinated by it.

Her eyes trace the picture from top to bottom. She had black hair in a ponytail, looking like an ordinary schoolgirl.

But Info-chan knew better than that. She could easily see past the façade on that face, she could see how fake the smile and the happy expression on her face were. She couldn't be fooled by something like that.

She knew very well what kind of person she had become involved with, but she wasn't afraid. Oh no, on the contrary, she couldn't be more excited about what was to come.

"You're interesting, Aishi-chan. Please, show me just what someone like you can achieve." She laughed, gently closing her laptop and opening her phone again.

* * *

It doesn't take very long for people to find out about Mio-chan's death.

I returned to class as fast as I possibly could and acted as though everything was normal, and most of the students didn't give me a second glance as I sat down at my seat.

But the moment that class ended, some of the female students went straight to the bathroom, and screams of horror echoed throughout the school building.

One of the girls drags Mei Mio's body out of the girl's bathroom and checks her neck and wrist for a pulse, but it was already obvious that she was dead. The male students soon rushed up to the scene and stared at Mio-chan's corpse in disbelief.

Me? I did the smart thing and chose to be one of the girls shrieking at the sight, and I made it look like I almost fainted. It's hilarious how easily the others bought it, as some of the students held me in their arms and tried to hush me.

Be one of the most surprised and terrified people when a murder occurs, that's what I've learnt is the safest route. It makes you the least likely target.

I stare at everyone behind my crying façade and observe their peculiar behaviour. I wonder, are they upset about this girl's death? Or is it because they've realized that their lives are potentially in danger too?

Perhaps both. Perhaps they both care about Mio-chan and are paranoid about their own survival.

Well, this is a game of survival.

And whether or not they want to be, the girls in this school are players. They just don't know it.

Osana Najimi is the last girl to arrive on the scene, and this time I resist the urge to kill. My head twitches from the left and to the right involuntarily a few times but I eventually force it to stop. This façade must stay on.

She'll get what's coming to her, but not now. I've lost my control once, and I killed Mei Mio carelessly and without a plan, let this be a perfect reminder that I need to take my time.

I stare at her off-putting crying and the swaying of her orange hair for a couple more seconds before realizing that I'll probably throw up if I look at her any longer. I decide to let my eyes wander elsewhere.

And it picks up my precious Senpai in a matter of seconds. I gaze at his eternal beauty, he even looks handsome when he's crying and screaming!

He kneels beside the body and looks around frantically at everyone, his wonderful, black hair waving from side to side.

"How could this happen?! Who did this?!" He yells, snot rushing down his nose now.

Oh, I really wish I could take a picture of this. He's just so cute when he acts cowardly! I could just eat him up!

"They were in Gardening Club together, this is seriously messed up." A girl with red hair whispers to Kokona Haruka. The purple-haired girl quickly nods in agreement, but fails to get any words out of her own mouth.

A brown-haired teacher, quite tall in stature, arrives on the scene and immediately starts to command the students to back away from the body. Mio-chan's corpse lies in the middle of the school hallways, and everyone keeps looking at it, finding it impossible to believe.

The teacher then calls the authorities, and the police reach the hospital in around five minutes. The entire floor where the body is becomes completely sealed off by the police and we're told by them to go home.

Fine by me. They won't follow any of us home. We've got a crime scene to investigate, but they won't find anything.

I wait behind one of the blossom trees outside of school, watching Senpai anxiously pack his things into his bag from his locker and rush towards the gates. He's going to be running home today, it seems.

That's alright. I can follow him without being spotted and run at the same time, I've done it multiple times before.

I watch him dash all the way to his house, which is just a street away from mine. He slides his keys out his right pocket and quickly opens the door, barging inside and slamming the door behind him. I wait until the coast is clear before walking up to the doorstep.

I press my left ear firmly to the cold surface of the door and listen to the sounds inside. I can hear his weeping, it's loud and high-pitched, and beautiful. He really cares so much about the death of someone as insignificant as Mei Mio? She doesn't mean anything. Her death will benefit us.

Don't worry Senpai, nothing will _ever_ happen to you, I promise. As long as I'm still living, you will forever be under my protection.

I push my dry lips against the rough, bumpy door and give it a smooch, imagining it to be Senpai.

"Sleep tight," I whisper under my breath as my lips leave the door. I run down the doorsteps and back to my own house.

There's still something that needs to be done.

The police will be soft with their search, and won't take their investigation too far, because of the murder happening at school. This is my greatest advantage.

The story isn't well-known for me, but I can recall the most important parts of it. Apparently, a murder occurred many years ago at the same school that Senpai and I attend. A young, female student was accused of the crime, but no one was able to be believe it, and the student was innocent in every way that you looked at it.

No matter how hard the authorities tried to find a connection between the accused schoolgirl and the murder, they couldn't find one. She had an alibi _and_ no evidence that could label her the murderer, or even a potential assistant of it, so she walked free.

The police became a laughing stock after that, the media mocked them to their hearts content, the press had a field trip that day. Everyone was happy about the verdict of 'not guilty' for the female student.

That's why authorities and law enforcers do their best to stay away from murders or other dangerous incidents happening at schools, they do _not_ want to ever go through what they went through all those years ago.

This doesn't mean any murderer at school can walk away scott-free, oh no. You still need to be careful, as they can still pin the murder on you, but you've got a better chance of getting away from that situation than any other public place.

I didn't leave any evidence for the police to find, except for one, and I'll be getting rid of that now.

I reach my house, being greeted by the black cat nearby as usual, and walk through the front door. I rush into the living room and turn on the television.

And sure enough, the news about Mei Mio's death is already being talked about. I watch the male and female news reporters babble on about the details as I drop my bag off of my back and sit on the floor. I casually take my socks off as I listen to what the TV says.

I listen for a while and immediately know that they don't have much to go on. They're already starting to call the incident a 'potential suicide'.

Of course they would call it that, the police don't want to look like fools that don't know who did the murder. Even if they knew that it wasn't a suicide, they would still name it one if they couldn't find the culprit.

I leave the television on and get up from the ground, ascending to the first floor of my house with the stairs. I wander over to my room and quickly start to take my clothes off.

I toss my entire school uniform onto my bed and walk across my bedroom naked, kissing the Senpai shrine on my way to the my clothes lying on the floor. I slide on a simple, white t-shirt and brown, loose shorts.

Then I reach back to my ponytail and undo it, placing the rubber band I used for it onto my desk. My black hair flops down, finally free of the annoying hairstyle. My hair is now lying normally down the back of my neck, just the way I like it.

I glance over to my computer, sitting in one of corners of my room, should I check what people are saying over social media? Well, it wouldn't hurt to.

I press onto the power button of the old computer and watch it slowly boot up, it's highly irritating. The screen flashes a couple of times before displaying my desktop, there isn't anything on it except for pictures of Senpai that I transferred from my mobile phone.

I connect to the internet and immediately go to the school's official chat room, that apparently Info-chan set up for no reason, and read what people have wrote.

They're freaking out, writing in all-caps and asking over and over again how something like this had come to be. They must have been close to Mei Mio. But they shouldn't be worrying so much.

They'll be with their friend soon.

I don't see Senpai typing anything into the chat, he must still be traumatized to be online. Oh well, there's nothing else worth checking then. I shut down the computer and get out of the chair beside it.

I've done everything necessary now, there's just one thing left. The evidence. I need to get rid of it.

I didn't leave anything at the crime scene, of course, that would be far too careless of me. No, it's the one way they can still find traces of me there, my fingerprints.

Everyone has them, and since I had choked Mio-chan with my bare hands, there's no doubt that they'll find my fingerprints on the corpse soon. I need to do something, anything that will keep me under the radar. It won't be easy, but I wasn't expected this line of work to be such a thing.

I rush downstairs again, returning to the living room. The fireplace is already on, it's gotten very cold lately. The news on the television hasn't developed the slightest, they're just repeating what little is known over and over again.

I kneel on the solid floor, glaring at the raging fire in front of me. I feel the warmth of the fire burning, its heat is already spreading itself throughout my entire body. I flip the switch at the bottom of the fireplace and watch the fire get larger and brighter as I turn the heat up.

I need the fire to be as hot as possible for what I'm about to do. The faster I do this, the better.

I hold out my skinny, fragile hands in front of me. I stare at them for a few moments. This is it. I need to sacrifice. This is absolutely necessary.

I grit my teeth and prepare for what I'm about to experience. Let this pain remind me that the road to true love is never easy.

I shove my fingertips into the fire and watch my skin burn away, my mouth stays closed for around eight seconds, but then the screaming starts.

It bursts out of me and echoes through the entire house, I bite down on my tongue and taste my own blood. This agony is unbearable, I can't take it!

No, I can take it. I can take it for Senpai.

I feel the burning sensation occurring on the very edge of my fingertips. I'm burning my fingerprints away, they'll never track me down by them if I don't _have_ them.

The prickling, stinging pain in my fingers start to intensify as the fire bites even deeper into my skin, erasing the patterns on my fingers, and leaving black, burnt marks on them.

It hurts, but I'm doing this for Senpai. He's making me strong.

I gradually pull my fingers out of the dancing flames and glance at my fingertips. There's nothing left, it's all gone. I no longer have fingerprints. Not even the police can stop me now.

I grin even though there's still plenty of pain rushing through me. I don't care about it anymore.

I can no longer think about Mei Mio, about Info-chan, about the murder I commited, about the police, or even about the pain I'm currently enduring.

There's only one thing on my mind now as I sit by the fire and watch it burn.

A handsome, perfect, statuesque boy with dark, black hair and piercing eyes. His magical voice. His cute weeping.

It's Senpai. Senpai. Senpai. Senpai.

" **Will you praise me once this is all done?"**


	5. No 4: A Secret Visit

**Hello, here's the next chapter!**

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* * *

I feel quite strange once I awake, as though my body has no energy left in it. I open my eyes but don't get up, I simply lie down and stare at my ceiling, appreciating the warmth of my bed. It's so incredibly soft, I don't want to ever get up from it.

Peculiar, to be honest. I thought I would be full of motivation and willpower after successfully killing Mei Mio yesterday, but I don't feel any of that at all. Thinking about what happened yesterday also causes my mind to wander to different memories, such as how I burnt my fingertips last night. I rub my fingers carefully against my bed sheets, expecting to experience some stinging, but I don't feel that either. All of the pain is gone, but the edges of my fingers are still coloured black from the burns, but I'm sure I can conjure up a lie if anyone asks me about it.

Students at school will be more alert now too, I need to be more careful. I slipped up by killing Mio-chan, I hadn't planned it through and I had to come up with a way to make it look like a suicide at the last second, that cannot occur again. My target is Osana Najimi, no one else, so I should be assertive and constantly remind myself that the only people I should be focusing on is her and anyone close to her that might make things difficult for me. Firstly, I'll need to find out who is close to her and might become an obstacle, and secondly, plan how I'll kill her according to how she acts at school and where I can be alone with her.

I don't care about making Osana's death look like a suicide though, that trick cannot be used for more than a few times before people get suspicious. Committing suicide is a common thing in our town, but multiple students doing it all at the same school at relatively the same time? I'll be caught for sure, and I cannot allow that to happen. Going to prison means being taken away from Senpai, and I won't let that happen, I need him.

And he needs me. He just doesn't know it yet.

I slip out of my comfy blankets and sit up on my bed, staring hatefully at the sunlight forcing its way into my room again, why can't it just stay dark? It would make me feel so much more at ease.

I glance at the Senpai Shrine next to my bed and recall the fact that he'll be pretty paranoid when he goes to school now, as Mei Mio was close to him. I didn't know that. I wouldn't have killed her so soon otherwise, but what's done is done, I suppose. I'll make sure things are quiet at school for the next few days to calm him back into his usual self, even though he's just so cute when he's scared. I wish I could just hug him, wrap him in my arms, and whisper into his ear that everything will be alright. I'd lick up his tears for him and give him a supportive peck on the cheek, I'm certain he would love that.

I look down at my schoolbag leaning beside my bed as I get up, I'm already set for today, there's nothing to worry about. I even slept with my school uniform on just so that I could leave for school as soon as possible. I'll need to be the earliest to class in order to hear all of the gossip and rumours that the students have to feed me, it'll be helpful.

Firstly, however, I'll need to check the school's online chat room again. You never know what people will write there that can be incredibly useful, that's why I check it regularly.

I sit down on the old, adjustable chair in front of the computer in my room and press the power button, wait for the slow thing to load up, and then go to the Internet.

And as expected, most of the students haven't been online for a while, and the ones that have been on their devices have typed in very little. So, they're still shocked about what happened? How pathetic. When will they get over it? She wasn't anyone special, and her death doesn't change a thing. You could have replaced her with a walking, talking plank of cardboard and it would still have the same amount of personality and significance. Honestly, this is exactly why I cannot understand other people.

That makes me wonder, are there others like me? I already know for a fact that someone like me wouldn't be considered normal to society, but surely, there must be someone else out there that thinks the same way I do. I cannot be the only person on this planet, I cannot be the only one, I cannot be unique…right?

Damn it, my focus has wandered elsewhere, I need to attend to more important matters right now. My eyes quickly start to scan my computer's screen, reading every line that the students have typed in last night on the chat room. I keep scrolling down, and the name Mei Mio constantly shows up. I scroll further and further down, reading the boring conversations they had held.

 **Hayato Haruki:** Someone please explain what's going on here, there's no way that Mio-chan would ever kill herself!

 **Sota Yuki:** Just calm down man. If this wasn't a suicide, the police would already know about it.

 **Kokona Haruka:** So there isn't a crazed killer at our school?

 **Yui Rio:** Of course not, why would you even ask us that? Are you trying to deliberately freak us out?

 **Kokona Haruka:** No, but you know what happened twenty or thirty years ago, right? Maybe it's happening again?

 **Saki Miyu:** Don't worry, Haruka-chan. I won't let anything happen to you!

 **Kokona Haruka:** Aww! Thanks! :)

 **Yui Rio:** Thank God that the school is going to be closed for tomorrow, I really need some time to think about what the heck just happened…

It's revolting, how much they care about each other, and I begin to wonder why I even read the messages in the chat room in the first place, but then I carefully read what Yui Rio typed at the very bottom of the page. There isn't going to be school today?

Is it because the police want more time to study Mio-chan's corpse and search the crime scene thoroughly? Or is it for some time for people to begin their mourning? It's not clear to me at the moment, but considering how soft and weak people are, the latter seems far more likely. They want to close down the school for now to show that they care about the student that killed herself, that they're upset. But, I know that's all pretend, just like my façade. They don't care about Mei Mio, who would except for those close to her?

Fellow classmates will definitely be shaken by the news, and wonder why and how something like this suddenly happened, but they won't be upset about the actual girl's death. They'll only begin to worry if it doesn't look like a suicide, because that means that there's a murderer on the loose and that their lives are in danger too. That's simply how humans are. They care about their survival before anyone else. I believe that people who say that is cowardly are hypocrites, because when they're faced with death, they'll also do anything to live.

I gently lift myself off of the computer chair and stare at my school uniform that is still on me. I won't be needing these clothes today, it seems, but it comes at a slight disappointment to me. I won't have much to do now, the most time I'll be spending doing today is waiting for tomorrow. I don't miss school nor do I enjoy it, but it's better than sitting in my bedroom doing nothing.

Perhaps I'll give Senpai a visit?

Well, a secret visit, that is.

I've done it plenty of times before so it shouldn't really be a problem or hassle, and Senpai won't notice me, I'll make sure of that. I'd love for him to know that I sometimes watch him sleep at night, and that I hum sweet, soft tunes for him as I observe him snore. His window is always closed, so he doesn't know I watch him.

But I know.

Yes, I'll see him today. I have could I possibly survive a full day without seeing that wonderful face as his at least once? I'd go mad. Seeing him smile, seeing him cry, or just seeing him in general is something I always need to do. I had another amazing, magical dream about him last night, about the two of us walking along the beach together, our lips connected with each other's the whole walk. He'd look into my eyes and tell me that he loves me, and I'd wrap him in my arms, embracing his warmth. Even when I'm asleep my mind is still on Senpai. I need to see him at any possible moment. I need Senpai, he's like my drug.

And I am, without a sliver of a doubt, addicted.

* * *

Info-chan never really slept, her eyes had been glued to her laptop the entire night. She had visited every news website she knew, and she would continuously keep refreshing the page to see any updates the second they came out. How could she have slept after the events of the today before?

Mei Mio's death had been the subject of discussions and debates for a long time now, and the talks about her suicide didn't seem like they would be ending any time soon, much to Info-chan's irritation. She wanted it all to stop now. Ayano Aishi wouldn't be able to keep working on her mission of getting rid of anyone in her way if Mei Mio was on everyone's mind. She knew that eventually everyone would move on, even the girl's parents, but she just wanted the process to speed up. She hated waiting. She loathed it.

Still, it intrigued Info-chan to find out that even a sloppy kill committed by Ayano Aishi couldn't be traced back to her. It was obvious that the kill was done quickly and without planning, but the murder was still seen as an unquestionable suicide. Aishi had potential, Info-chan could see that clearly now. She always knew that she had picked someone that would do anything to have the person she loves, but now knowing that her partner was also a highly skilled killer made her proud.

It almost felt like watching a child grow into an adult. When Info-chan first talked to her on the phone, she had gotten the impression that Ayano Aishi was lost, delusional, and unsure of what to do or how to get closer to her crush. But now seeing that she can murder female students without being caught, it truly felt like Info-chan had morphed her partner into a new person, awakening her secret talents.

Info-chan's partner would definitely slip up again, no one is perfect, but at least she felt assured that it wouldn't automatically mean that they'll be caught. Murders need to be subtle, but there was no denying the wonderful sensation of killing someone out in the open and without a care in the world.

As for Info-chan's research on Ayano Aishi's parents and past, she had practically hit a brick wall. A dead end. She couldn't find anything more about her partner or about the people she's related to. But how could it possibly be so difficult? There was no way that any ordinary person could easily hide most information about themselves, could it be that Ayano Aishi's parents weren't normal, just like their daughter?

Or perhaps the police was making sure no one found out more about the Aishi family? But why would they want to do that? Info-chan still didn't have the answers and it refused to stop bothering. It was obvious now that she couldn't find out anything helpful or interesting off of the Internet about Ayano Aishi and her family, but there were always other ways to find out what you want.

"It's decided, I'll go pay Aishi-chan a visit."

* * *

I lock the door to my house behind me and head off, wearing a normal, pink T-shirt and blue jeans. I didn't bother to do any work on my hair on my way out, so it's simply straightened down and along my back. It feels weird leaving the house like this, I'm not quite sure why, but something feels wrong.

Normally, I would be avoiding eye contact as much as possible when walking across the pavement, but I don't do that anymore, not instinctively anyway. I return smiles and stares to whomever I receive them from, and I no longer feel out of place in public. There aren't many people around this morning, and most of them are taking buses and other public transportations, but it's still outside where everyone can see me. Interesting.

Perhaps killing Mio-chan has truly made me subconsciously more confident about myself. How wonderful. Mio-chan's death really has served me with good fortune on more than one advantages. It wasn't exactly the way I wanted things to go, but getting rid of her has definitely set me on the right track.

As I walk along the sidewalk, staring at the road nearby and the cars that quickly pass me, I notice the black cat near my house again. It hangs around our trash can, and I never fail to meet it whenever I go somewhere. It greets me with its familiar meow and purring, so I kneel down slightly and gently pat its head. It doesn't seem afraid of me at all, most cats run away the moment you get too close, but apparently not this one. This is also the first time I've actually touched a cat. Its fur felt soft and warm, I can see why some people like this kind of animal.

I begin to walk faster and faster, my eyes skimming every single signpost I encounter, I read the contents and know exactly where I'm going. I mean, I've already memorized how to get to Senpai's house, but there's nothing wrong with being absolutely sure that you won't get lost, right?

I rush over to the familiar blue house two streets to the right from mine, it's Senpai's. All of the windows are closed, most of the lights are already on, and there are newspapers leaning against the door, no one has bothered to open the door since yesterday.

So, Senpai is still paranoid about the incident at school? How cute! Perhaps I can get another good view of him crying today, won't that be just the icing on a cake? I've brought my phone as well, of course, I'll be sure to take plenty of magical photos of him to savour and cherish for every day that I cannot see him. I already have a large collection in my bedroom, but there's always room for more, and I haven't had a clear picture of him crying yet. Though, if I remember correctly, I _do_ have a picture of him that I secretly took last year. He came to school with a cold, and I was blessed to hear his gorgeous, high-pitched sneezes, I could listen to those beautiful melodies for the rest of my life!

I quickly turn my head left and right, making sure that no one else is here to see me. Nothing. I don't see anyone. There aren't any cars that take this route to get to wherever it is they need to go since this street is quite out of the way, and there isn't any pedestrians roaming around this early in the morning, so the coast should be clear. The only problem I'll need to worry about right now is Senpai's little sister and his mother. His father is usually out for the whole day, but the others are almost always at home with Senpai, which makes it difficult to get a good view of Senpai in his room. I've almost been caught on more than one occasion.

They can never match me in skill though, they couldn't even hope to measure close to me in that, and that's why I haven't been spotted yet. Close calls mean nothing, it's only a problem if you get caught.

I take in a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, clearing my head. I start to walk over to the fence placed on the sides of Senpai's house. They're sturdy and reach pretty high up, which will serve my purpose quite fine. I remember the very first time I tried to climb this fence to reach Senpai's bedroom window, I fell around twenty three times before I eventually got the hang of things. I sprained my right foot's ankle, and twisted the other foot in the wrong direction, but funny enough, I didn't even notice the pain.

I leap upwards and dig my hands and feet into the fence, scaling it with ease. Nothing is impossible for me to do when I have Senpai's stunning, astounding, and perfect face burning into my vision. All I see is his face, his soft lips, his tender cheeks, his masculine voice. It's all Senpai's.

I feel one of my fingers begin to bleed, the skin must still be sensitive from the burns it sustained last night, so I start to climb with only one hand, licking the fingers of the other, drinking my own blood while pretending that it's Senpai's. That is yet another dream of mine, to one day slurp down some of his thick, juicy blood, to have him inside my stomach. But that is for another day.

I reach the top of the fence and start to balance on it, I'm quite high up now, if I fall down now I'll probably break one of my legs.

But who cares about that?

Because now I have the perfect view of his bedroom window, I jump off of the fence and begin to suspend myself on one of the other windows of the house opposite to Senpai's, so that I can get a clear look through that blurred window of his.

I immediately pull out my phone and switch the camera mode on, pressing the button on the side of it to take pictures, my finger continuously presses down on it frantically, taking as many photos as my phone's memories allow.

He's sitting on his bed, his face buried in his sheets. I can't see his face, but that's absolutely fine, since I can see everything else of him. He's wearing only underwear and a sweatshirt, and I quickly start to drool.

I can't help it, I need to get closer.

Without even realizing it, I jump from the window of the house opposite to Senpai's house and onto the ledge of his window, just barely hanging on. I just cannot help it, I need to get closer. He's not facing this way, it's fine, as long as he look at this direction.

I carefully balance myself on the ledge now, press my hands again the pane of glass in my way, staring at Senpai's back, feeling thrilled that he could turn around at any moment and see my face outside of his window. I start to lick the glass, ignoring the dirt and dust on it, replacing it with the saliva on my tongue.

I finally press my forehead against the window, almost making enough noise for him to hear, and quietly mouth the special words to him before leaving his house to go back home.

" **I love you."**


	6. No 5: The Chains on a Monster

**Hello all, here's the next chapter, sorry that's taken a while! I've been a bit busy.**

 **Special thanks to Austin0425 for following this story, you're awesome~! C:**

 **Also, the next chapter will contain scenes of brutal torture, you have been warned.**

 **Feedback is always welcome~! C:**

* * *

The next day, almost everything had calmed down since the first incident at Akademi High.

The authorities did some more research at the crime scene, closed off the school for a couple more days, but they eventually left and called Mei Mio's death a suicide. They probably could have guessed that it was actually a murder if they had searched harder, but they knew better than to pry further at an incident that has occurred at school, they don't want to make the same mistake they made many years ago.

I'm surprised yet grateful that someone like me has been at our school before, and that she was able to outsmart the police and walk away without any punishment, it makes my work a whole lot easier. The police won't try too hard to find out more about killings at schools, especially our school, it's incredibly good fortune for me.

Still, I have been laying low for now, for multiple reasons. Firstly, there's a limit to how many times I can outwit the police and press my luck, and secondly because the other students at school will obviously start getting anxious and suspicious. They seem alright now, since the incident has been closed and the school has once again been opened for people to enter again. The female's bathroom isn't closed anymore either, but from what I have seen, no students have dared to use them yet. They believe what the police say, that it was just a simple suicide, but they're still taking that judgement with a grain of salt. Cowards. All of them.

School was still closed on Friday, so Osana Najimi didn't have her chance to confess to Senpai and try to take him away from me, but it's the start of a new week and I know that she'll try it again next Friday. She won't get her hands on him, because even if I cannot kill anyone for a while, I can still sabotage her and her friends in different ways. I'll make her she doesn't have a chance to meet with Senpai on Friday, I'll just use other means and methods to get the job done. As much as I'd love to choke the life out of her, just like how I did to Mio-chan, it's essential that I keep my cool and wait for now. She'll get what's coming to her.

It's Monday, I'm walking through the front gates once more, being greeted by the swaying of the pink blossom trees. It's elegant, how they dance from side to side according to the direction and strength of the breeze, so I stop to admire it for a few seconds before moving on. I glance at other students behind me, walking to their lockers with alert stares. They still seem a little shaken, but that's fine, it means that they're in a weakened state and will be much easier to fool.

I went beside one of the blossom trees, watching all of the students get to their lockers and pack their stuff inside. They're not in a hurry, and they all quickly begin to speak to each other, and while I'm pretty far away from them, I can probably predict what their conversations are going to be about. But that's not important, none of it is, only Senpai matters right now. I eventually see him walking through the front gates with a depressed expression on his face, and he doesn't bother to greet the security guard on his way in, which is what he usually does. He's so adorable. No matter what his expression is, happy or sad, he looks utterly majestic and statuesque.

I lick my lips and wipe the drool off the side of my face as he advances towards my location, every morning he sits by these trees, all alone with his books, so it will look strange if I stay here.

I walk away from the trees and walk into the building of our school, going straight for my own locker. I open it up with the four number combination on it and look inside, it's empty. No notes, no textbooks, nothing. I would probably transform this plain, old locker into its own Senpai shrine, filled with all of the photos I've gathered from him, especially the ones of him crying from a couple of days ago, but I cannot take the chance. If anyone sees my locker in that kind of state, there won't be any proper way of explaining it and my mission will be over. As far as anyone else knows, I'm just an ordinary girl at Akademi High that has no interest in Senpai whatsoever. That's my cover, and so far I haven't given anyone any reason to think otherwise, and that's how it'll stay.

I glare, from behind the door to my locker, at Kokona Haruka and her blue-haired friend. They are chatting the loudest, with smiles on their faces despite the tense atmosphere of the school, so I'm presuming that they didn't really care about Mei Mio that much, or don't know about the danger that they are in. I listen in on their conversation, hoping to eavesdrop on something useful, something that can assist me.

"God, I'm so tired, I seriously don't have the energy to go to class today…" Haruka-chan mutters while rubbing her eyes with her hands. They are dark areas around the edges of her eyes, I don't believe she's lying.

"Why are you tired, Kokona? You're usually the most energetic person at school in the morning!" Her blue-haired friends asks, her voice is high-pitched and it bothers me. It's like listening to a cat that has its tail stuck through a door, or like listening to chalk being scrapped across board during class, irritating to the extreme.

"Well, I had a lot of…things to do on the weekends." Kokona responds while avoiding eye contact, her friend doesn't notice it but I do in an instant. She's lying, it's so clear to see, and I'm sure that there's more to it, something I can use…perhaps?

Their chat slowly starts to transit to simple talk about what makeup to wear and what designer clothes, which gives me the clear signal that it's time to stop listening, anything else that comes out of their mouths is useless. What I find hard to understand is why girls talk the way they do. What's important about how others think of you and what you wear on yourself? They don't just care about what their loved ones think of them, they're constantly worrying about what the general public think of them. Will I ever understand how they feel? I highly doubt it.

The school bells start to ring, echoing throughout the entire hallways and into the locker rooms we were all standing in. I watch everyone else groan one by one and wander over to their designated classrooms, they don't want to go to class, so I suppose we have something in common there, at least. I close the door to my locker and hold tightly onto my schoolbag. I watch Senpai from behind the corners of one of the hallways to my classroom, seeing him put down his book and walk to class as well, before heading upstairs.

It's time to go to class for the first time in a while.

* * *

Info-chan didn't know if this was the wisest thing for her to do, especially when the action concerned someone as…different as Aishi-chan. This wasn't exactly necessary, but Info-chan knew she wouldn't be able to rest until she knew more. Her time at the Newspaper Club at Akademi High had given her the strong instinct of curiosity, and the thirst for more knowledge about people such as her own partner. The girl was strange, and Info-chan needed to have a good idea of just what kind of person she was associating herself with. Surely, just a quick look around the house wouldn't hurt anyone?

Info-chan stood outside of the large home that belonged to Aishi-chan. It looked massive, more expansive than most others homes, but the door had a simple, ordinary lock on it. With her experience at lockpicking, Info-chan knew that breaking into this building would be easier than taking candy from a baby. The question if she could break into this house, the question was if she _should._ If Aishi-chan was to find out that someone made a forced entry into her home, it probably wouldn't end well for either of them. Info-chan wasn't worried about being caught, she knew that wouldn't happen, but her anxiety was still eating away at her. Her hands slowly start to shake and shiver as they get closer to the lock of the door, she gulps down her own saliva and attempts to calm herself.

No matter what, she wouldn't leave any kind of indication that she had been here, that simply couldn't happen.

She pulled out a metal lockpick out of her blue jeans' left pocket and stared at it, this was the only one she had brought for a job like this, so she was practically praying that it wouldn't break.

She placed the lockpick gently into the lock of the door, shuffling around her tool to listen to the different sounds that the door would make every time. Her senses were good, amplified due to many years of doing this sort of thing, so the door opened after a matter of seconds. Easy.

What the most difficult part was actually finding the courage to step inside, but Info-chan eventually braced herself and stepped inside. Inside the house of Ayano Aishi.

Surprisingly, it didn't feel at all any stranger than any other house that Info-chan had been in. There was a large hallway leading up to the upper floor of the home, and two rooms on the left and the right. One was the kitchen, and the other was an exquisite, pricey-looking living room, filled with furniture that Info-chan knew must have cost a fortune. No one was home either, just like Info-chan had planned it. It didn't take very long for her to do a bit of research and find out that Aishi-chan's parents were out on a business trip, and that they'd be home tomorrow and her dangerous partner was at school, trying to get closer to her Senpai. Info-chan only had today to do whatever snooping she could manage, and scavenge for any interesting information that might have been lying around.

Info-chan decided to go straight to Aishi-chan's bedroom first, which was upstairs and to the right. She walked up the steep stairs and saw the door to her partner's bedroom, it was a simple pink colour and it had already been left open. Info-chan invited herself inside and looked around the place, it was a nice room. Tidy, as Info-chan started to notice after observing the large objects in the bedroom, so Info-chan could quickly assume that Aishi-chan was an organized person, which was definitely an advantage for her…'mission'. Info-chan began to inspect a strange-looking, miniature shrine rested on the desk next to the bed, in the middle of the room. As she got closer, it became evident that Aishi-chan's obsession for her Senpai was even worse than she had expected.

It was a small shrine with a badly-taken photo of Senpai, with different kinds of things circled around it, such as an apple with a bite-mark, a used plaster, a strand of black hair and other obscurities that Info-chan simply hadn't been ready to witness. Her partner had actually made a shrine for her loved one and had already begun to collect various pieces of him, or things he had been in contact with. At first, Info-chan felt appalled, but then that feeling gradually started to change into a feeling of happiness. This was wonderful. Info-chan had no doubt of Ayano Aishi's devotion and love for her Senpai, but this shrine made her positive of her Aishi-chan's devotion to this mission.

The strange, abnormal girl would stop at nothing to claim her prize, and know Info-chan felt more motivated to help her achieve that than ever before.

She would unleash the monster within Aishi-chan, and watch it devour anyone in its way.

* * *

Classes are boring and pointless, nothing more. I cannot believe that school is actually considered necessary in the eyes of the public when it's redundant. The students don't even listen to what the teacher says, they just face their chairs to the direction of their friends and start going on and on about insignificant subjects, and the teacher doesn't even notice. She just keeps on talking, pretending that her students are talking in the information, when in actuality, none of them are. I'm the only one that's keeping eye contact on our teacher, but that's only because I have nothing else to do in this classroom. I sometimes start to look out of the window to my left, imagining Senpai and I taking long, romantic walks together on the streets outside our school, but for the most part I'm just waiting for class to end.

This is mathematics as well, something that is regarded as essential knowledge to all, but no one really seems to care. It bothers me greatly, why don't people take life seriously? If you asked these students what they even want to do with their lives I can guarantee that at least half of the class will openly admit that they have no idea. Typical.

Class finally ends and the torture is over for me, it's like breathing in fresh air after holding your breath for an hour. Everyone else seems to feel the same too, since as soon as the bells ring again, the corridors and hallways almost immediately became full of people again. This is yet another thing I can use to my advantage though, because this is the time where all the students all gather around and spill whatever secrets they know about, which is one of the most helpful things I can acquire. But first thing's first, I need to actually have a target, someone that I know I can listen to without being heard and someone that will not hesitate to speak out about their personal problems or about dirty gossip concerning someone else. Gossip can become my greatest weapon. If I can't kill _all_ of the girls at this school, I can still do things to make sure they never go near Senpai.

The rest will die though, I've already decided that. Osana Najimi will die without question, and whomever I suspect is interested in Senpai will also have a brutal ending coming their way. Either way, at the end of my mission, no one will be left to be with Senpai except for me. Sure, I might be ruining Senpai's love life at school, but who cares about that when he'll have me? I'll give him all of the love he could ever need, and more.

I still find it a little funny though, that everyone has gotten used to being at school again, and how they don't know that a murderer is walking among them. I wander past other students through the corridor that leads to the staircase, smiling politely at anyone who happens to look my way, and I'd laugh on the inside. It's the perfect cover. Absolutely perfect. No one would suspect an ordinary, cheerful girl like me. I'm nothing more than a girl attending her school, a teenager ready to learn many things about the world, a girl that would never even dream of killing another person. Facades are wondrous, it's almost magical how well they can hide someone's true nature with just a small amount of effort.

They throw this on themselves, however, as one of the factors is that they don't _want_ to see a murderer in someone like me, they don't _want_ to believe that a simple schoolgirl could be capable of murder. They only see what they want to believe, and they become blind to everything else that tries to interfere with that logic, which is why they'll never catch me. They're all too weak.

I make my way up the staircase, making sure that no one else is going up as well at the same time, and open the doors to the roof of the school. We're quite high up, and by walking over to the balcony and the railings, I can clearly see the pink blossom trees down below and the roads just beside our school. I can see the school gates and the cars that drive by and think to myself, this could actually be a nice area to hang out at whenever I might need to…dispose of someone. I can practically see the whole school from up here, it shouldn't be a problem to use this place when I might be in a bit of a pinch. I'll definitely remember to come here, that is, if no one else is occupying the area.

A sound of whispers quickly gets my attention and I turn around to see someone close by, but I see no one. The noises are coming from one corner of the roof so I move there, making sure that I tread carefully so that I am not heard. Two people are hiding behind that crater that has yet to be moved from our roof, and their voices are immediately recognizable.

Oh, this is just tremendously good fortune. I can use this to my advantage without even trying, all I need to do is make sure that I am not caught, which I'm sure won't happen. I can outsmart these fools any day.

I listen in to the voices, they sound frantic and upset, with a tone of concern present. I gradually begin to recall the two people with the same kind of voices like these, Kokona Haruka and her blue-haired friend, which for some reason I keep forgetting her name. That doesn't matter though, what matters is the information they can supply me with. I kneel down, close to the brown, old crater and place my left ear against it, listening in on every word.

"I…I don't know if I want to talk about it." Kokona Haruka mutters in a bubbly voice, obviously sounding like she actually did want to speak about the subject, and I cannot help but roll my eyes.

"Come on, Haruka-chan, I'm your best friend right? You can tell me about it." Her friend persists, her voice sounding quite soft and calm, as though trying to assure her that everything will be fine.

"Are you…sure you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise,"

"Okay…it's just…my father decided to come home drunk again…and he hurt me. It wasn't too hard…he's not even that strong…but I don't know if I can take it anymore."

And then there's a long pause, and I hear the sounds of shuffling, they're probably hugging at this point. Normal, predictable human behaviour. I have to wait around ten to fifteen seconds before the two fools decide to start speaking again.

"So that's why you seem down," Her friend whimpers pathetically, most likely still hugging Kokona Haruka, and continues after a few more seconds. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. He can't keep you in his house forever."

"Y-Yeah…"

"What we need to do is something that will take your mind off of it and cheer you up again, right? That'll make you forget all of your problems and bring out the old you again!" Kokona Haruka's friend starts to laugh, as though she had come up with the perfect solution.

I almost begin to feel sick to my stomach after hearing those illogical words and imagining what kind of things go on in the mind of that air-headed girl. How could Kokona possibly feel better from hearing tha-?

"Actually, I already know something that might cheer me up." Kokona Haruka responds in what sounds like an embarrassed tone, so I start to listen closely to the conversation again.

"Oh? What is it?"

"I really want to confess to this guy that I like."

"Oh…my…god. Really?! Truly?! Seriously, Haruka-chan, you have to tell me! Who? Who?!" Her friend begins to chant, squealing with happiness and excitement. Perhaps I should leave now, there doesn't seem to be anything more important to learn here.

"If I tell you, you have to promise to not tell _anyone._ "

"Yes! I promise!"

"I really, really like-!"

I start to stand up now, brushing off the dirt and dust that had forcefully made its way onto my skirt. I stride away, feeling the wind flow through my hair, but my feet instinctively halt myself as I hear Kokona Haruka's words.

"-Taro Yamada!"

…

No.

No, no, no.

Oh dear me, no.

But that's…Senpai's name.

Oh, okay. I see what's going on here. You also want to take Senpai away from me? You also want to destroy the only thing that I love in this world…?

My body starts to shiver, my head starts its insufferable twitching again and I fail to walk any further away from the two girls talking to each other. My hands and fingers begin to wriggle around, imagining the sensation of holding a knife against Kokona Haruka's neck, slitting it open to see all of the crimson red blood that shall be held inside.

Oh, you truly wish to fight against me, Kokona Haruka? You really want to rival against the monster hidden inside? Well, I certainly cannot say no to such a brave approach. How could I possibly turn down such a challenge when we're both willing participates of this survival game. It's kill or be killed…right…? That's how this whole thing works. Come, you purple-haired fool, let's have ourselves a battle of wits.

It's not Friday yet, so we have plenty of time to play our little game before Osana tries to take Senpai away from me. You and I will have ourselves a lot of fun before that day comes, you'll die just like Mei Mio did.

But with you, I'll take my time.


	7. No 6: A Torturous Evening

**Hello, here's the next chapter now, sorry that it took me a while to make!**

 **Unfortunately, I've been having many internet issues right now, so I cannot check who has followed/favourite this story, so I'll be giving them a warm thanks in the next chapter, I'm SO sorry about that! I promise you'll get a heartfelt thanks from me soon! C:**

 **Warning: I'll warn you one more time, this chapter contains a scene of torture, please read at your own discretion.**

 **Feedback is always welcome~! C:**

* * *

Getting things prepared for what is coming isn't going to be difficult from what it looks like, in fact, it seems like this will be as easy as stealing candy from a baby. What I need to get together to make this possible is already written down, so as I walk into the hallways of Akademi High, reaching into my pocket and taking out my small list is the first thing I do. The paper is small, and what I have written is basically in scribbles, but that's only because I'm so excited that I cannot keep myself calm.

The sound of speech and laughter echoes throughout the halls as it gradually becomes filled in with students, and I believe that there are a few more students this day. Probably some transfer students, this school gets those people quite often. I flush out and ignore the irritating noise of life around me and stare at my piece of paper, the first thing on my list is the fake letter I'll be writing. That's the perfect thing about this plan, its simplicity. I already overheard about Kokona Haruka's problem with domestic abuse, so if I can use that to lure her into my trap, everything should go just fine. Kokona Haruka _will_ be my toy to play around with by the end of this day, that is certain now, but I still must make sure that I do all of this properly.

Glaring down at my list, I misjudge my surroundings and crash into someone, almost falling over and losing my balance. I didn't fall to the ground, but the impact shakes me a little, and I quickly slip away the paper with my plans on it into my school shirt's breastpocket, then look up to see who I had collided with.

It's a boy with light brown hair and his eyes seem to be the same colour. His choice of hairstyle is strange too, with it being spiked to the left side of his head, with the other side staying normal. He also has some kind of headband wrapped around his head with Japanese symbols on it, though it had loosened thanks to our collision. Unlike me, he has fallen on the floor and he's picking himself back up, readjusting the headband around his head. He holds the right side of his head with his right hand and groans before looking at me, but he doesn't seem to be angry or annoyed.

"Sorry about that, I guess I wasn't watching where I was going." He apologizes while eyeing me from head-to-toe. That's right, take a good look at this façade, and only see an innocent girl walking through school. It's interesting to see how easily people can be fooled, I decide to look slightly shaken and shy as I look back at him, that should probably be the normal response to something like this.

"O-Oh! No, it's fine, I wasn't really paying attention either."

"Heh," He mutters, still looking at me for some reason. He eventually glances down the hallway and at the direction he was walking in and points to it. "Well, I've got my class to get to now, sorry again."

And then he's off, rushing clumsily once again to whatever class he needs to be at, and I begin to wonder who he is. I haven't seen him before, and I've been extra careful to remember every single student that attends this school, both male and female, so he most likely is a new student here. My predictions are correct, there are more transfer students coming in now, I must be sure to know all of them as well, they might get in the way.

Now then, back to the matter at hand, I need to get to Kokona's locker. I wander over into the locker room near the entrance of the school, avoiding as many students as possible opening up their own lockers, and begin to search for the one I'm looking for. I've already seen her use the one in the farthest row and I'm certain it's the last one to the right. I glare at it, wondering how I will slip this into the locker. There are a few gaps in the very middle of the locker, just like everyone else's, so that's most likely the best option right now. Now what I need to do is write a convincing letter so that she'll meet me somewhere in secret, and I believe I know just how to do that.

I stare to the left and right, making sure no one is watching. Most of the students are upstairs, greeting what I presume to be the new students, and I haven't seen Kokona Haruka this morning, so the coast is clear for now. I've been observing her for the past few days now, and I know almost everything that is necessary for this job. It's Wednesday now, and Friday is right around the corner, so I must be sure to make this quick and simple. I know Kokona's weakness and how I can use it against her, but the real question is…will she buy it? If she doesn't believe the letter I give her and doesn't come to the area I want her to, this entire plan will fall apart, and then I'd have to kill her _and_ Osana in the span of just two days. Not only would that be difficult and raise the chances of me being caught, but that will also raise the suspicion that there's a murderer in this school.

And if Senpai ever knew about that…then he'd hate me for sure! I don't want that to happen! My heart would be broken for the rest of my life, Senpai would never be mine!

No, that won't happen, I cannot let that happen, it shall _not_ go that way. I don't care how I have to do it, I will get rid of both Kokona and Osana, even if I have to lock the three of us in one room and slaughter the both of them, I don't care what method I use, they will not get their hands on Senpai.

I open up my own locker, two rows away from Kokona's, and place my bag inside so that I can take out the contents I need. I grab both a blue pen and a simple piece of paper I ripped out of one of my notebooks, and start to write. I press the edge of my pen against the paper and begin to hesitate, just how do I write this? I know that I should convince Kokona that I care about her and her problems with her father, however I'm not sure how to make it seem authentic. Putting on a façade on the outside is easy, but pretending to care on paper doesn't seem as easy, literature isn't exactly my strength. I'll just have to write down what I think a normal, caring girl would write and hope for the best.

' _Hello, Haruka-chan. This is an anonymous letter, but I want to meet in person. I know about your problems at home and about the domestic abuse, and I want you to know that I'm going through the same thing. Perhaps we can have a talk about it? I've heard that speaking to others that are experiencing the same problems as you can help, so hopefully we can have a chat? If you want to talk about it, meet me at the Gym's storage room at the end of school.'_

Perfect, surely someone as simple-minded as that Kokona person will fall for this, now I just need to slip this into her locker. I put away my pen and walk back to Kokona's locker and fit the letter through the gaps of her locker's door, feeling my fingers shiver with excitement and anticipation, I cannot wait to get my hands on her. Step one has been completed.

Step two shall now commence. What I need next is something to make sure that I can take her with me without any resistance, and the perfect solution is a tranquilizer. It will knock Kokona out cold with just one shot, and then she'll unconscious long enough for me to get her to my house. I've already prepared the basement for the occasion; all that I need now is that tranquilizer. However, firstly, I need to ask Info-chan for a favor. I cannot exactly carry Kokona all the way home without being under normal circumstances, but I know that Info-chan can find a way to keep me covered and unseen long enough to do the job. I pull out my phone from my skirt's left pocket, immediately call her number and place the phone against my ear. The call doesn't even ring more than once before Info-chan picks up, she must have been waiting eagerly for me to call. This is the first time I've asked for a favor so I'm unsure just how much I can ask for, but by taking Mei Mio's panty shot after killing, I'm certain that she'll try to help out.

"…I knew you'd call." A cheerful, gleeful voice giggles through my phone, and even though she's not here to see it, I roll my eyes. She always sounds so happy, it bothers me for some reason that I cannot properly explain, and I sigh before replying.

"I need a favor. I gave you Mei Mio's photos so I expect some quality support from you."

"But of course!" Info-chan's confident voice booms into my ear, much to my own irritation, so I clear my throat to remind her that I mean business. Info-chan pauses for a few moments before speaking again, so I assume that she caught that. "Tell me, what do you have in mind?"

"I wish to take one of these students to my house to make sure she doesn't get in my way, understood?" I answer her, double-checking that there's no one around. I'm in the middle of an abandoned hallway and almost all of the students have gotten to their classes now, as the school bells ring for a solid thirty seconds. Still, even though I'm sure I cannot be heard, I lower my voice to a whisper as I speak now.

"Ah, some good old torture, huh? Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I need you to make sure that I am not seen with the person I'm taking. She'll be unconscious so I'll require something to carry her in and some mode of transportation to my house."

I don't hear a response for a couple of seconds, so I begin to wonder if I'm asking too much for one panty shot, but I still hold the phone firmly to my left ear and wait for Info-chan's voice again. I start to hear the quiet sound of snickering on the other end of the call, and Info-chan begins to speak once more, now with more happiness clear in her voice than ever.

"Consider it done! I'll leave a box big enough for a body right outside the school gates at twelve o'clock and schedule a special taxi to take you to wherever you want. That should cover everything, and if anyone asks about the box, just say that it has an instrument inside it, or just improvise. That's all I can do for you, seems fair?"

"It's efficient," I mumble quietly, piecing together the entire plan in my mind. A box is fine, my house is close and I doubt that the taxi driver will pry about it, so everything seems to be in order. "Make it happen, and do _not_ be tardy."

And then I pull the phone away from my ear and end the call, not wishing to wait for Info-chan's answer. I don't care about her or about why she wishes to help me out, she's only a tool that can give me an advantage. I cannot trust her, but I also don't get the feeling that she'd rat me out to the authorities, she seems to be just as dedicated as I am. And even if she does decide to go to the police, I'll make sure none of the evidence points to me and put on the best act of an innocent schoolgirl that I can. She won't be an obstacle, no one will.

Everything is set now, even how I'll be taking my prisoner home with me, all that I have to do is take a tranquilizer out of the nurse's office.

And, for me, that will be like taking candy from a baby.

* * *

"Say, do you wanna hang out after school?" Saki Miyu questions with a bright smile on her face as her blue hair sways from side-to-side, Kokona Haruka shakes her head hesitantly, knowing that she cannot take that offer.

"Sorry, I've got plans this evening, maybe tomorrow?" Kokona replies as she walks over to her locker, feeling the weight of the bag on her back. The final ring of the school bells echoes through the school building, and Kokona feels relieved that the school day is finally over.

"Aw," Saki Miyu mutters, showing her clear disappointment. She didn't know why her friend would always turn down her offer of hanging out, but she knew better than to pry into the matter, Kokona's situation wasn't something that could be lightly discussed. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Kokona watched her best friend leave and felt a stinging sensation in her heart, she would like nothing more than to be with Saki, but she couldn't do that. Not while she was stuck in her paid dating. It started a long time ago, back when she was in desperate need of money, and the strange kind of dating that adults would indulge themselves in seemed like the best option to quickly make some of that money she wanted. She hated herself for it, and she wished to stop a while ago, but she knows that she's gone in too deep. The men she dated would always offer her more and more money for one extra date, and Kokona could never find a way to turn them down. Even now, she feels the temptation to forget about the date she has tonight and stick around with Saki for the whole day, but she knows that her love for easy money is stronger, so she looks away from her best friend as she leaves through the front gates and turns to her locker.

All of the other students pour out of the classrooms now, and the hallways become loud and crowded again, taking Kokona's mind off the depressing thoughts that she has. She opens up her locker with the silver key in her schoolbag and takes out the textbooks that she had left inside, but stops when she sees a white piece of paper sitting in the centre of her things, and she doesn't recognize it. The paper's crumpled up and has some writing scribbled on it, and Kokona's heart almost skips a beat. A love letter? Has someone decided to confess their love to her? That's exactly what she needs right now, someone to have a proper relationship with, how could she possibly bring herself to participate in paid dating when she already has someone she loves? She grabs hold of the paper and opens it up, quickly skimming through the writing inside.

She pauses, seeing that the handwriting belongs to a female, and the contents of the letter speaks about her problems with her father. Her eyes widen as she reads through it, tears almost starting to well up in her eyes. She didn't know how someone found out about it, the only person she ever spoke about this to was Saki Miyu, and Kokona knew for a fact that this wasn't her best friend's handwriting. Saki must have spoken about it to others, perhaps everyone else in the school already knows about it, which is a shuddering thought for Kokona. She puts the paper away, thinking things over, should she really meet with this person? She really needed someone to talk to about it, and know it seemed like Saki had spreading the word, so she couldn't speak to her about it. Obviously, this person must care a bit to want to meet up after school and talk about the subject, and she could finally speak to someone who's going through the same situation.

Kokona makes her decision, she'll go talk to this person and sees if they really care, and if they do, this could be the start of a real friendship. She puts the paper back into her locker and closes it up, making sure to lock it with her key. She glances at the other students as they pack up their things and wander over to the school gates, she wants everyone else to leave before she goes to talk to the person that had written her a letter, she didn't want anyone walking in on their conversation. Kokona waits until the last two people, Pippi and Ryouto, to leave the building before shoving her textbooks into her schoolbag and heading towards the Gym building. She didn't know if the person that wanted to speak to her would come back to school once everyone else had left, or if the person was already in the other building where they're supposed to meet, though the latter seemed more likely. She swings her bag over her left shoulder and steps out of the school building herself, glances back a few times to make sure no one is following her.

She wanders over to the Gym building, feeling her own heart start to beat faster and faster, she had no idea how this conversation was going to go, but she knew that if the two of them were really going through the same thing, they would be able to connect to one another pretty easily. She walks up the steps to the second building and grabs hold of the handle to the door, she lowers her head and takes in a deep breath to prepare herself, and steps inside.

The Gymnastics room was expansive and felt rather empty, with a stage at one end for announcements and events based around theatre, and Kokona began to wonder why someone had told her to come here out of all places. Barely anyone ever went into this building unless it was required for some sort of occasion or for physical education. She steps around, looking in every direction for someone to be waiting for her, but she sees nothing. The person must have not arrived yet, which didn't make much sense to Kokona, but she ultimately decided against questioning it. She plays with her purple hair with her left hand while whistling a short tune, listening to her own voice echo around her. Another possibility that crosses her mind is that perhaps the person is shy, so Kokona stands in the middle of the colossal building and starts calling out to see if anyone would respond.

"Hello? Is anyone there? If you're already here, then come on out!" She calls out while staring at her surroundings, trying to find any kind of indication of someone being in the building with her, but her voice echoes through the gymnasium and collects no response from anything.

Kokona didn't properly understand why, but an unsettling atmosphere felt like it was descending upon her. A schoolgirl in the centre of a dimly-lit room with no one else around, it seemed like the perfect scene for a horror movie, and she had seen one too many of those. This was usually the part of a movie where the innocent girl would call out for a friend's name, only for a vicious monster to leap out of the shadows and snatch her away. The thought of that actually happening though causes Kokona to giggle silently, she knew that her imagination always got the best of her, there were no such things as monsters in the real world.

The lights attached to the ceiling of the building begin to flicker, frantically switching on and off while making strange, high-pitched buzzing noises. Kokona glances up and stares at the flickering lights, thinking that they were malfunctioning or in need of changing, since things like this happened a lot around their school, but the next thing that occurs pushes her on the edge. She hears the echoing of quiet, almost-silent footsteps, which normally wouldn't have frightened her, but these footsteps were far from normal. These footsteps were heavy, loud and sounding as though someone was banging a hammer against the floor, it couldn't have possibly belong to an ordinary girl like the one Kokona was supposed to meet up with.

The footsteps echoed around the area in its entirety, so Kokona couldn't properly understand where the sounds were originating from, thus she decided to just search in every direction with her eyes. While her eyes glared to every room and every place of the building, she had begun to pant heavily without noticing it, and the footsteps gradually became louder. Just whose footsteps were they? It couldn't be the girl she was meant to meet, no, this sounded like the footsteps that would belong to a large animal…

Or...a monster…?

Kokona shakes her head as her schoolbag slides off her shoulder and crashes into the ground, that couldn't be so, there's no such thing as monsters. She doesn't bother to pick her bag back up, in fact, she immediately forgets all about it as the footsteps become so loud that it begins to ring in her ears. She couldn't take it anymore, whatever the sounds belonged to, she couldn't bear to stay in the building any longer. She stops searching for the thing making the noises and starts to dart towards the same door she entered in, almost falling over several times as her purple hair flopped in front of her face, making it extremely difficult to see. With her hair obscuring her vision, she collides painfully into the door instead of opening it and falls onto her backside from the force of the collision. She groans, holding her arms as they had bashed against the surface of the door, but hearing the irregular sounds of the footsteps causes her to scramble to her feet to grab the handle of the door.

But then a snapping sound booming throughout the building, and the lights went out completely. Kokona couldn't see anything, and her hands were groping desperately at nothing as she could no longer find the handle of the door. Anxiety starts to kick in, and she begins to wheeze so badly that she almost faints from hyperventilation, but she still stands up on her feet and wanders around to find a way out. She didn't even care about what was happening, she just wanted to get out. She holds both of her arms out, scraping her fingernails against the rough surface of the walls, helplessly trying to find the exit again, and the sounds of footsteps got so close that Kokona thought that it was right behind her.

However, before she could turn around and scream at the top of her lungs, the agony of having something sharp stab into the back of her neck causes her to gasp. The pain begins to sear throughout her entire body, and as she tries to move around to get what seemed to be a needle out of her neck, an arm wraps itself around her chest, holding her firmly in place. The strength of the arm felt immeasurably, almost supernatural, but Kokona chose to struggle nonetheless. She wiggles and shuffles around in the grip of the creature holding her, and the needle in her neck began to stick itself deeper inside, causing Kokona to finally raise her head and shriek in both fear and pain. She started to kick her feet, attempting to hit whatever was holding her from behind, but the kicks collide in a weak fashion, and she starts to realize that her legs were beginning to feeble, as though they had no more strength within them.

Her eyelids also began to feel heavy, and she started to have trouble holding her own head up, it just felt too heavy to hold straight. Was she falling asleep? She couldn't believe this was happening, she opens up her mouth to scream one last time in hopes of someone hearing it, but nothing comes out. She couldn't even use her own voice now and her body started to go numb, she instead whimpers quietly in the darkness as the creature finally lets her go and drops her body to the ground. Kokona's eyelids were forcing themselves to close, but she fights it long enough to roll across the floor to see who had stabbed her with a needle.

In the darkness, it was quite difficult to see correctly, but she could make out a small figure with what looked like a tranquilizer in his or her right hand. The shadowy figure was skinny, not at all intimidating, until Kokona gazed upon the figure's eyes.

It wasn't a crimson-coloured shade of red, nor any other colour that you would normally see in the eyes of a beast, the eyes didn't even glow.

But the eyes were widened and blank, and they were staring directly at her, confident and calm. The eyes never took themselves off of her, as though staring into her soul. And as the figure spoke softly to her, Kokona finally realized that she had been wrong this whole time.

There were such things as monsters.

"Sweet dreams, Kokona Haruka."

* * *

I truly didn't expect things to go so well, but everything went as smoothly as possible. Stealing a tranquilizer wasn't even close to a challenge, the nurse was out and the office was completely unguarded. I just simply waltzed on in, grabbed the goods, and walking straight out without any problems. This school is perfect for my mission, it's lacking protection and safety in every part of it. Taking out Kokona was slightly more difficult, however, as she came a bit late to the Gym room, but when she came I made sure to put on a hell of a show for her.

Turning the lights on and off, hitting one of the tennis rackets against the walls, and taking my time to inject her with the tranquilizer, it all worked flawlessly. Kokona was practically squealing like a pig when that happened, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Once I had my fun with her, I dumped her body into the box that Info-chan had provided for me, but carrying proved to be a challenge in itself. The box had become extremely heavy once Kokona had been sealed inside it, and dragging the box all the way to where a taxi was waiting for me was agonizing, but I pulled through. Once I had lifted the box into the back seat of the taxi, I ordered the driver to take me directly to my street address, though I didn't take the risk of telling him which house on that street was mine, I would never compromise myself like that.

And now, here we are, in my basement. I took the first chair I could find, a wooden one, and placed Kokona onto it, keeping her in place by tying her with rope around a small pillar in the middle of the room. I've been waiting here, just standing still and watching her, for around three to four hours now, and it looks like Kokona is finally waking up. Her lowered head gradually begins to lift itself up and her eyes slowly open themselves, and the first thing she does is gaze at me, blinking in disbelief. I'm sitting opposite her, on another chair, with my arms folded. All I have in my hands is a simple kitchen knife, but that will be sufficient for this work. I might not have the proper tools for this, but I can use my imagination. Beside my chair is a large jug of water and a piece of cloth, that wasn't hard to get my hands on, and I'm sure using _that_ will also be quite fun. Kokona's eyes finally open fully and she looks around herself, still disoriented, but she eventually snaps out of it and gasps, seeing me.

"What the…? Where am I? Are you…Ayano?!" She squeals, trying to get out of her chair only to finally realize that she has been tied up. The look of fear and uncertainty on her face is utterly priceless, I think I'm going to play a little with her first before we get to the main event of tonight.

"I'm surprised you remembered my name, Kokona Haruka. I tried to be as forgettable as possible when I introduced myself to you and your friends." I respond quietly, noticing myself how much my voice has changed. It's no longer cheerfully nor tuneful, but the kind of tone that you would hear from a villain or criminal mastermind. I guess this must be my true voice, after all, there's no reason to hide the real me when it's just the two of us in this basement.

"Ayano, are you crazy?! Why did you tie me up?! Let me go this instant!" She screams as loudly as she can, struggling helplessly in the rope I wrapped around her, it reminds me of the same struggling she did when I held her in the Gym room, it's weak and pathetic.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll let you go soon enough. But since you're here now, let's have us some fun. I've already prepared everything we do tonight, and I've double checked the walls of this basement, they're completely soundproof. We won't be disturbed down here."

"What are you-?!"

I get off my chair and grip the knife in my right hand tightly, and start to advance towards Kokona, and the first thing I do is wrap the piece of cloth I have around her mouth, I don't want to go deaf from those annoying screams of hers. She still wiggles and shuffles around in her chair, and tries to kick me again, but I've tied up her arms and legs too, she won't be stopping this. I lean in towards her, staring at her horrified face and listening to her quiet muffling behind the cloth on her mouth. This'll be a night neither of us will forget. I hold my kitchen knife close to her face, allowing her to see just how sharp it is, before I lower it towards her hands.

Placing the very edge of the knife against her ring finger, I start to stab the knife down into her flesh, seeing the blood spew out delightfully. Her muffling and whimpering get louder and louder, but at least she cannot shriek anymore. I make sure to take my time, letting the knife dig gradually deeper into her skin before reaching something solid, must be her bone. Good, now all I have to do is drag the edge of the knife from one side to another and it should take it off, right?

Oh, there we go, the ring finger has come off. It flops uselessly off her left hand and drops to the ground, and the fresh wound from the separation gushes out all of the blood that it can, and that drops to the ground too. I'll be sure to mop up that mess later.

Okay, what shall we do now? This knife has to cut into a few more things before I'm satisfied, so I guess that pretty face of hers comes next. I bring the knife close to her face again, watching her eyes flash in terror, and then press it against her right cheek. Her squealing is so wonderful, and I haven't even cut into her skin yet! At least let me cut your cheek before you start acting cowardly. Now, what should I write on her cheek? How about a nice, big S for slave? That would be perfect. I begin to do my craftsmanship, craving deeply into the soft, supple flesh on her face, starting at the top and slowly making my way down, making sure to get the curves of the letter right. Halfway through, some of her blood jumps out of the cut and splashes onto my own face, irritating me, so I decide to make the rest of the craving deeper until I can feel the tips of her teeth with my knife, it's rough and obviously something I cannot cut through, so instead I just keep poking it until it no longer interests me.

Then I pull the knife out of her tender flesh and stand back, admiring my work. It isn't exactly perfect, per say, but it still looks like a big S on her cheek, and I laugh when I see it. It isn't a normal laugh either, oh no, it's the one I usually only did when no one was around, but this time there's someone to see it, so I raise my head up and burst into laughter, cackling as loudly as I possibly can. I absorb myself in the laugh so much that the bloody kitchen knife slides out of my drenched hand, but that's fine, I was planning to move onto the next thing now. If craving a letter on someone's face is _this_ fun, I cannot wait to try the my other torture method. I looked this one up and read about it, apparently it's a method used to extract information from people during certain wars, and I even watched a video on the Internet on how to do it properly, without allowing the person to breathe as I do it.

I raise my left foot and kick Kokona's chair, causing both her and the chair to fall to the ground, her back lying on the cold floor, with some of her own blood getting on her white shirt. She looks like she's in a lot of pain, and it seems like she's unable to stop crying. I bend over and taste the fresh tears on her face, licking it up and enjoying its saltiness. These tears taste delicious and they're here because of me, which only makes me more happy than I already am. I glare into her terrified eyes, a large, delighted smile plastered on my face, and I ask her a question in the most cheerful way possible.

"Hey, Kokona, have you ever heard of waterboarding?" I ask as I step back and kneel down to grab the handle of the heavy jug of water on the floor. The piece of cloth on her will help with this as well, it'll do work with the water.

I hold the jug just directly above her and tilt it sideways, pouring down onto her face, listening to her gag and whimper as she fails the breathe properly. I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to pour the water before stopping, or how many breaks I should give my victim, I didn't really bother to search the details of that up, but it doesn't matter. I continue to allow the water to choke her until the jug is around halfway full before stopping to take the cloth on her mouth off.

She immediately begins coughing and throwing up water, spitting and forcing all of the water that had been stuck in her lungs, watching her struggle so pathetically is ridiculously enjoyable. She opens her mouth to say something, probably to plead and beg for mercy, but I cut her off before she can do that by wrapping the wet, soggy piece of cloth on her mouth, and I start pouring water and watching her drown again.

"Tonight's going to be a night of suffering, no one tries to take Senpai away from me."


	8. No 7: Cleaning Up

**Hello, sorry for keeping you waiting!**

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* * *

…Did I take it too far…?

I'm not sure, but all I know is that the job is finished, it's a complete success.

I'm sitting on the cold, bumpy surface of the floor, at one corner of the basement. The knife in my hand is drenched in blood, some had gotten into my hair, and my clothes have been splattered with it. I stare out to the centre of the basement, at the unconscious Kokona, and admire my work. I may have gotten carried away, but this is the result I have been expecting.

Finding out that Kokona wants to take Senpai away from me too is far too much, and I took out all of that anger on her last night. I raise my left hand, the one that is less bloody, and trace my index finger under my eyes. Its surface is dry and rough, probably due to not sleeping a whole night. I should have at least taken a few breaks from torturing Kokona, but I only stopped once she had fainted from the pain or shock.

She's not dead, I'm certain of that. I would never be so careless. I cut into her many times with my knife, but I made sure not to let too much blood drip out of her. I checked her pulse an hour ago, she's fine.

I don't want her dead, either. She will meet her end soon enough, but I want to use her to my advantage before that. My main target is still very much a threat, but with Kokona at my disposal, she won't be a problem any longer. I never meant to kill Kokona when I brought her to my house, and the thought of murder never crossed my mind when I was cutting through her skin with my knife. I don't want to kill her. I want to _break_ her.

Breaking her mind and spirit, that's my goal. It will make things so much easier for me. Break down the mind of a man or woman and they are yours to use, and even the most resilient people have a breaking point. It didn't take long to reach Kokona's breaking point. After just losing a few of the fingers on her left hand, she was already a pawn for me to use, I just cut off her thumb too because I was in the mood, nothing more.

If only Senpai could see all of this and understand how much I'm willing to do for him. If only he could understand my devotion, that I shall do anything and dispose anyone that gets in our way. He'll see it all, soon enough, but I truly wish that he could see it sooner. I have dreams about it, to be honest, dreams of the two of us sitting on a literal mountain of corpses. The mountain of bodies is tall, like a statue declaring our love, and we'll be at the very top, having a peaceful picnic. That will not be a dream for very long, it will be a reality soon enough as well. I'll build that mountain with my own two hands.

I carefully put my hands in front of me and lift myself off of the ground, my legs have fallen asleep so I wobble around as I walk, waiting for all the blood to rush back into them. Once I feel normal again, I walk over to the post in the middle of the basement and glare at Kokona, still strapped to it. Her head is lowered, her eyes are closed, and she's not showing signs of regaining consciousness soon, how bothersome. I raise my right foot and poke it into her gut a few times to see if that will wake her up, but I get no reaction whatsoever. Looks like I'll just have to wait.

Kokona looks like an absolute mess. She's almost bald, as most of her purple hair is on the floor in shreds, that's my fault. I didn't like the way she showed off with that ridiculous hairstyle, so cutting it off felt satisfying. There's a small pool of her blood and water on the floor too. The blood is to be expected, but the amount of water is a surprise to me. I must have been waterboarding her for quite a while, as there's enough water in the small pool on the floor to reach the top of my foot. I cannot blame myself for that though, watching her choke on water was really entertaining, and I kept pausing the method of torture for her to spit out all of the water in her mouth, just to pour another ton of it down her throat.

The large letter 'S' that I carved onto her face has almost healed now, with small chunks of her flesh still sticking out. The letter won't be healing up though, that will be a permanent scar from the way things look. Glancing at her knees, I can see that I've been writing actual words on them, but I don't remember doing that and it's impossible to read them. The letters of the word are spiked and are basically scribbles. Looking from its shape, I drew the word multiple times on each leg, but they look like the handwriting of a madman and I eventually decide to give up on trying to read it.

I'm not mad though. My sanity shouldn't be in question.

I'm perfectly fine. As long as people stay away from my Senpai and allow us to be together without problems, I won't do anything to anyone. I've only done something like this to Kokona because she dared to take him away, she knew the consequences, she knew the risk. She played a dangerous game with me, and she lost.

Senpai will have no other lovers, he will never be taken by another woman. I am the only one for him, we are meant to be together and no one will be able to change that. No one.

I guess I'll leave Kokona down here for a while, just long enough for her to wake up, we have work to do. I check my watch as I walk up the stairs and reach the first floor of my house. It's one hour until school starts, I'll need to be quick. Today is Friday, my last chance to take down Osana Najimi before he steals Senpai from me. I've conjured up a plan for how I'm going to prevent such a thing from happening, but first, I'll need to change my clothes and wash myself. There's too much blood on my, I need to get rid of all of it as soon as I can. I enter my bedroom and wander over to the bathroom to take a shower, but I feel a vibration in my trousers, I'm getting a call. It's quite obvious at this point who is calling me, mother and father still haven't called me in a long time.

I glance at the screen as I pull the pink mobile out of my pocket. It writes 'unknown number' again. It's Info-chan. What could she possibly want so early in the morning? I might as well answer.

"Speak, Info-chan, I don't have time to waste." I say as soon as I answer the call and press the phone against my right ear.

"Oh my, is that anyway to talk to your partner…?" Info-chan responds in her usual, cocky tone.

"I hate you,"

"I know. Anyway, I just wanted to inform you about a few things. First off, our dear friend Osana will be confessing to your Senpai today, just to remind you."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Right, just wanted to make sure. Secondly, be careful for the next couple of days. I've been snooping around here and there, listening to rumours and sneaking about, and found out that the police aren't done with their investigation yet. They're not sure that Mei Mio's death was a murder, but they still suspect it. They've been talking to some well-known detectives and are hiring, as far as I know. It doesn't seem like too much of a threat right now, but just by weary."

"It has been duly noted. If you can, found out which detectives they're hiring."

"I'll do my best."

"Do better," I hiss and hang up the call, not wishing to talk to that person anymore. I cannot properly explain why, but just hearing her voice is irritating. She thinks that she's in any way involved in this, but she isn't. I'm the one working and taking risks for Senpai, not her. She's a tool, and she should not forget that.

I open the door to the bathroom and open the tap for the shower, allowing hot water to stream down. After that, my bloody clothes come off. I toss them aside and stare at them, those are stains that won't come off easily, I'll just burn them in the fireplace. It will be much easier.

My shower is fast-paced, I do not waste even a second too long in there. I mustn't keep my prisoner waiting. I wash myself from head-to-toe and step out of the shower. I don't bother to properly dry my hair, I simply throw a towel on my head and scrub it a few times before getting out of the bathroom. Opening my closet, I see another set of the school uniform inside and I place it onto my bed as I put on new underwear. Wearing my school uniform is a slight struggle, its smaller than my other one, but I manage to put it on. I then leave my bedroom, tying my hair up into a ponytail as I step down the stairs again.

Taking a shower like that, I feel incredibly refreshed. I walk into the kitchen when I reach the bottom of the stairs and hold out my kitchen knife out in front of me. It's nearly dripping with blood, but I rush it over to the sink before any of it can get to the floor. I open the tap and slide the knife under the water coming out, cleansing it of the crimson liquid. It's difficult as some of the blood has already dried up, but I get every last scrap of it off. The knife looks brand new again now. I stare at it for a moment, hesitating to put it back into the drawer under the sink, where I got it.

Should I really put the knife away again? It cut into Kokona's flesh quite easily, it has its uses. But, at the same time, taking a knife like this everywhere with me will be risky. If anyone finds me with it, suspicions will arise. That will only make things more complicated.

Still, I cannot allow a situation like Mei Mio's death happen again. I rushed with that kill, I did it without a weapon, simply strangling her to death, and that's no good. A knife is beneficial from that perspective, it's faster and more efficient. If someone gets in my way and I need to get rid of them immediately, a knife will silence them instantly. The only issue is that if I'm caught with it, it will be over for me. There's no way out of being caught with a murder weapon, not even I would be able to escape something like that.

In the end though, I've made my decision. I'll keep the knife. It's risky but will still make things a lot easier for me, and hiding a knife isn't that difficult.

I start hearing the sounds of faint mumbling and crying from downstairs, Kokona must finally be awake. It's about time. I step out of the kitchen and head to the stairs that lead back to the basement, school will be starting in around twenty minutes, so I'll get this done as fast as I can.

Murder is a simple thing, but it has its risks and in my current position, I cannot take those risks. But, here's the thing, what if I don't need to be the one taking the risks? What if I don't have to be the one to kill, but instead the brains _behind_ the murder? That would simplify things significantly and there wouldn't be any pressure on me. All I'd ever need to do is make sure that the murder never gets linked to me, the rest is the work of someone else and not my problem. A plan like that sounds perfect, doesn't it?

Well, I've set up that exact plan, and it will work, I'm certain of it.

When I killed Mei Mio, I put myself into the line of fire and took the risk of getting caught, but that won't be happening any longer. I won't be sloppy, I'll do anything to keep myself under the radar. I'll need a puppet for the plan, and I've got exactly that kind of person.

I reach the basement again and smile at the conscious Kokona. Her expression is blank, she barely blinks, and doesn't turn to face me as I enter. The chair she's strapped has taken damage, but she makes no effort to try to escape. Even once she sees me with a knife in my hand, the same knife I used to write on her face with, she doesn't not react. Her mind and spirit are broken, just like I wanted them to be.

I walk up to her, kneel close, and stare into her blank eyes with my own. There's nothing left in that mind of yours, is there? You've lost all emotions, Kokona, all feelings that once kept you weak. There are no thoughts in that head of yours, only the ones that others place into it, right? Good.

You now know that it is like to be made a puppet. You will do as I say, won't you? Yes, you will, because you're now nothing more than a simple pawn for my disposal, and I'll throw you away like a piece of tissue at any moment that I see fit. You understand this. We haven't even exchanged a single word since your torture session, but you understand everything now, and you won't question anything I tell you.

I lift up my knife and flash it in front of her eyes, but I have no intent on hurting her anymore. Instead, I take the knife and use it to cut off the rope holding her to the chair. The ropes fall to the ground and Kokona slowly gets up from the chair. I fold my arms and grin, amused by this. I wonder, will she run? Will she snap out of it and run for her life?

No, she simply stands there, staring straight ahead, awaiting her orders. What a wonderful puppet, she'll do just fine.

Osana Najimi's death shall happen today, but I won't be the one to kill her. I'll see her have the most brutal death there is, but I won't be the one holding the knife, I won't be the one stabbing it into her.

I grab Kokona's right hand forcefully and place my knife into it, trusting my new puppet with my weapon. Kokona grips the knife and holds it by her side, still staring at me.

And I give my puppet its orders.

" **Kill Osana Najimi, and then kill yourself."**


	9. No 8: The Death of Two Rivals

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* * *

Today is the day.

I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am.

The very thought of this day has been lingering at the back of my mind for an incredibly long time, and now, it's finally here.

From the moment I first saw Osana with my Senpai, I felt the powerful urge to kill her, and that urge made me reckless and resulted in Mei Mio's death. My desire to slit her throat was so great that I had risked everything to kill her, knowing that I could have gotten caught.

That urge hasn't subsided nor has it gotten any weaker, but I'm able to control it better. Instead of allowing that urge to control _me_ and change _me_ , I've taken control of it and I'm letting it flow through me. That urge doesn't make me reckless anymore, it only makes me smarter. Wanting to kill her so bad has made me cautious and more calculating before, I've never seen myself operate so well.

Right now, I'm sitting at the back of a taxi alongside Kokona, my slave.

I've decided that letting Kokona wander around in public is a bad idea, she doesn't look normal at all, so we're going by taxi as well. The taxi driver glances back at the two of us during every red light, seeing the normal-looking girl, me, and the one with the blank expression, which is Kokona.

It's quite ironic. I, the one that is truly different inside, am not drawing any attention, but Kokona is already collecting curious stares. Kokona simply sits quietly in the taxi, looking straight ahead with no signs of emotion on her face.

My torture has turned out to be even more useful and effective than I thought. She won't do a single thing without a command from _me_ , and just remains like a lifeless doll when I don't give her one. Good. She's a very good slave.

We finally reach the school gates and I look inside. Students are already wandering through the gates, thinking that today is just another day.

They're wrong. Today is the day when two of their beloved classmates die. Kokona and Osana.

By the end of today, neither of them will be living, and I shall be ensuring that.

The taxi comes to a stop and I hand the money to the taxi driver. Kokona glances at me with her empty expression, awaiting my orders, and I give them to her.

"Get out of the taxi and follow me."

Kokona nods and does exactly that, no exchange of words are needed.

We step out of the taxi and I watch it drive away. I should be nervous right now or something, right? I should feel anxiety, uncertainty, doubt, or something along those lines, but I feel nothing of the sort.

I remember it very clearly. When Mei Mio and I were in the bathroom and I began strangling her, my heart was racing. I felt sick and worried, and it took me a long time to calm down. It was thrilling, of course, but there was always that feeling that perhaps what I was doing wasn't right.

I wait for that feeling to once again overwhelm me, but I feel nothing.

That uncertainty is gone and the only thing that remains is the thrill of murdering my enemies. I think I'm grateful for that.

I immediately make some distance between Kokona and I, we need to be close but I also don't want people to think we're acquainted. After all, Kokona will be committed an act of murder at the end of the school day, I don't think being related to her will be helpful.

And I'll just be one of the helpless, innocent, shaken students that never saw this coming. No one will be any the wiser.

I watch Kokona walk slowly over to the locker room, opening up her own locker and silently dumping her possessions inside. The night before, I gave Kokona specific orders of what to do and how to do them. She'll go to her locker, act normal, and then pretend to go to the bathroom.

Kokona won't be attending classes today. Her mind has been broken and it's already quite obvious, sending her to class will only arouse more suspicion there. I need Osana's death to be as unexpected as possible.

A few girls approach Kokona with bright smiles on their faces. I watch from a distance, leaning behind one of the trees outside. I'm a little too far away, but I can still make out what they're saying.

"Hey, Kokona! Where have you been, girl? I've never seen you miss school before." Saki, the blue-haired girl, laughs to Kokona.

Kokona, my slave, remains silent for a few moments. She blinks at them as though multiple thoughts were rushing through her mind. I gulp down and stare from behind the tree nervously. What if she recovers from what I've done to her? What if seeing her friends has made her snap out of it?

But Kokona does not laugh back, does not smile, nor does anything that could be considered normal.

"I…need…to…go…to…the…bathroom." Kokona mutters incredibly slowly, no signs of emotions anywhere on her face.

"Um, Kokona…are you alright?" Another girl asks, the one with red hair.

However, Kokona has already left them, and I laugh quietly. Of course she won't snap out of it. I've damaged her mind far beyond repair. Not even seeing her friends will bring her back.

I leave the tree and carefully follow Kokona from a distance, this is the next part of the plan.

Kokona won't actually be going to the bathroom, but I also don't want her attending classes today. I need to hide her somewhere until the end of the day, and get her to kill Osana just before she goes to confess.

So, here's the perfect plan I conjured up.

Osana wants to confess to my Senpai at the pink blossom tree behind the school building, right? Osana is so predictable that I already know what she's going to do. She's going to leave a letter in Senpai's locker, asking him to go to that blossom tree, but he won't be coming, I'll make sure of that.

And while Osana is waiting at that blossom tree behind the school, Kokona will kill her.

How will you hide Kokona? That might be what you're asking.

Well, guess what is _also_ behind the school building?

The garbage bins. Large and green garbage bins. It's big enough to at least three people inside of it.

And that's exactly where Kokona will be staying for the entire school day.

Kokona will be almost exactly where Osana will be, and Kokona will still be hidden perfectly to strike Osana down. She'll exit the bin, kill Osana before she has any time to react, and _I'll_ be the eye witness.

Yes, I _did_ say that it'll be dangerous to be related to Kokona Haruka once she murderers a fellow class member, but being a witness is perfect.

The police are desperate for answers and evidence, and they can hardly find any. Imagine when they find out that a student has seen a murder first hand and is willing to tell them about it. I'll cry, weep, do whatever it is that's expected and give them the information they want to hear. I'll tell them that Kokona tortured Osana before she was killed, I'll tell them that Kokona had completely lost her mind and killed without hesitation.

That will also take the heat off of Mei Mio's death. Info-chan told me earlier that the police still don't really believe that it was a suicide, so Kokona will their only suspect. As I said, they're desperate, so when they find out that Kokona has killed another student at our school, they'll name Kokona the killer of Mei Mio as well.

I'll remain under the radar, Kokona will take the blame for both murders, Osana will be dead and won't be able to get her hands on Senpai anymore, and things will sort themselves out perfectly and without a hitch.

 _This_ is my plan.

And it won't fail.

Kokona and I reach the other side of the school where no one can see us and we head towards the garbage bin. Kokona steps next to it and looks at me. I nod with a grin on my face.

"Get inside and do not leave until after school. Osana will be here to confess, and you'll kill her then."

Kokona nods slowly without any display of emotion.

"And remember." I continue, my smile only growing wider. "Once you've killed Osana, kill yourself. I don't care how you do it, just commit suicide. I want my knife back, after all."

Kokona nods again, no signs of hesitation, and climbs inside of the garbage bin, sitting on top of all of the trash in it.

I walk over to her, watching her sit in the darkness of the bin, and slowly close the lid to hide her.

The lid slams shut and my smile fades. I put on a normal face again and act like the most average student that anyone will ever see.

"Well," I giggle cheerfully to myself. "Time to get to class."

* * *

Info-chan knew this was the best opportunity she was going to get.

She knew that Ayano Aishi wouldn't be home today, today was a Friday, the day when Osana would confess to Aishi's Senpai. Ayano would be far too busy to come home any time soon, so Info-chan decided that she'd pay the Aishi house another visit.

Last time, Info-chan had found nothing at Ayano's house, but she knew very well that she'd find something good sooner or later. She realized that she had searching for areas that would probably be hiding things, but she time she would do the exact opposite, she would just look around the house normally.

Info-chan had nothing against Ayano and her mission to get to Senpai's heart, but she was curious about Ayano and wanted to know more about her.

Info-chan had attempted to learn more about the Aishi family by searching information about them from the net, but she came back empty-handed there as well. There were almost no records about the Aishi family, and the records that Info-chan had found were practically empty, barely containing any data in it.

It felt wrong to Info-chan.

There was something more to Ayano Aishi's family, and Info-chan felt determined to discover what it was.

Info-chan first headed into the living room. The place was clean as could be. There wasn't a single mess, not one object that had been misplaced, and Info-chan could only find herself chuckling. Everything was tidy and organized, just like Ayano.

Info-chan then left the living room and entered the kitchen. Everything was sparkling clean, not a single scrap of dust or dirt anywhere. There didn't seem to be anything of importance in the room, until Info-chan walked by the sink. A bright colour caught her eye and she looked inside the sink with widened eyes.

The sink was full of blood, foggy and diluted thanks to the water that must have been mixed with it. Info-chan thought for a moment, trying to think of the reason for the blood.

Then it hit her, Ayano had been washing blood off of something.

Info-chan laughed again, slightly louder this time. Ayano, her partner, had evidently been quite busy during these past few days.

Info-chan decided against inspecting the blood any longer and wandered deeper into the kitchen, wondering if there was anything else of interest.

She reached a dining table, a wooden one, with plates already scattered across it. Info-chan traced her fingers across the table's rough surface, the table was old and hadn't been replaced for a long time. In fact, now that she thought about it, almost everything in the house was old. The furniture, the table, the wallpapers around the building, nothing had been replaced for a long time.

A state that Info-chan hadn't expected from someone so sensitive about the cleanliness of their house.

On the table, at the top left corner of it, Info-chan spotted what looked like a picture frame. The glass on it was cracked slightly and had a thin layer of dust sitting on it. She picked it up and observed it. She hadn't noticed this picture the first time she came here.

The picture was a professional one, with Ayano Aishi standing in the middle of her parents. It looked like an ordinary family photo.

At least, it looked normal from a quick glance.

But as Info-chan looked at it more and more, it started showing its true colours. The father's face was timid, panicky, and his smile was small and fake-looking. The mother's smile was bigger, but felt wrong. Her black eyes were staring as though there was something dark lurking in her mind.

And Ayano, standing in the middle, wasn't smiling at all. She simply looked like she was glaring at the cameraman with no emotion at all.

It wasn't an ordinary family photo. Info-chan could was already beginning to understand that there was more than met the eye, and that the Aishi family was hiding something.

And her suspicions were only confirmed when she looked at the picture of Ayano's mother once more.

The mother's face seemed very familiar, as though Info-chan had seen it many times before. She couldn't remember when or where, but she was certain that she had seen the face before, either in the newspapers or in the magazines.

And at that moment, Info-chan's heart stopped as she heard the door to the house open.

Footsteps entered the kitchen almost immediately and Info-chan turned around to see who it was.

If it was a policeman, a neighbour, or anyone else, Info-chan knew she could handle the situation.

But it was neither of those people.

For a split second, Info-chan thought that it was Ayano that was standing before her, but it wasn't. This female was taller, skinner, and she had a different look in her eyes.

The tall woman glared at Info-chan for a few moments and then grabbed Info-chan by the shoulder, threateningly.

"What are you doing in my house…?" The woman whispered quietly, her grip on Info-chan's shoulder was so strong that she yelped.

Info-chan's glasses fell off of her face and onto the ground.

She figured out who this woman was.

It was Ayano's mother.

It was Ryoba Aishi.

* * *

Opening Senpai's locker was no challenge for me.

A few months back, Senpai had left his key on his desk, so I had borrowed it for the day and made a spare of it. Anything that Senpai's is mine too, after all.

I waited until the final bell ring of the school before hanging around the locker room, and I saw Osana. She flipped her repulsive, disgusting, orange hair as she walked over to Senpai's locker and then slipped her love letter inside.

Then she wandered off, heading to the blossom tree behind the school to wait for Senpai, and I took the letter out of Senpai's locker before he arrived.

I stared at the love letter for a moment. It was pink and had heart stickers all over it, how sickening. I ripped it up and tossed it in the bin before returning to the locker room.

Then there he was, my beautiful Senpai. He steps over to his locker, sees that it's empty inside, and leaves to go home as usual. He won't be coming over to the blossom tree to hear her confession. He placed his bag over his statuesque shoulders and wandered off, like an angel.

Don't worry, Senpai. I'll take over things from here.

Now, I'm heading to the other side of the school where Osana is. I'm crouching, making sure that I'm not heard, and I reach the garbage bins. I glare out and spot Osana exactly where I was expecting her.

She's standing there, happily under the blossom tree, with a bright smile on her face. She's waiting for Senpai, but she's going to be disappointed.

On cue, Kokona, my slave, steps out of the garbage bin she has been sitting in for hours and walks slowly over to Osana with my knife in her hand. I watch silently in the distance, preparing myself, for this is something I don't ever want to forget.

Osana spots the purple-haired girl gradually walking towards her and frowns.

"Hey, go away. I have business here and you're going to ruin it."

Kokona remains silent and continues to advance towards Osana. I observe happily, seeing Osana's frown slowly turn into one of uncertainty and fear.

"Um…why are you carrying a knife…? D-Don't come any closer!" She yelped, probably seeing the killing intent hidden in Kokona's eyes.

Then Kokona attacks and I giggle under my breath.

Kokona throws herself onto Osana, bringing them both down with her weight. Osana crashes onto the ground and watches in horror as Kokona holds the knife with both of her hands and stabs it downwards.

Osana's instinctive reaction is to hold out her arms in front of her, and the knife openly stabs into her left palm, leaving a fleshy, bloody hole in her hand. Osana screams and attempts to kick Kokona off, but Kokona doesn't go down so easily.

Kokona stabs again, this time piercing Osana's stomach, and crimson-coloured blood immediately begins pouring out. Osana starts screaming more, and with higher volume, and I listen to it gleefully. I've waited so long to hear these screams, I'm going to savour them.

Kokona begins gutting Osana's stomach like a face, allowing all of her intestines to pour out and drop onto the floor. This is fascinating, I've never actually seen intestines before, they're long and pink-coloured, and of course, drenched in blood.

Osana gasps weakly, as though she can still live with the wound currently in her stomach. She forcefully pushes Kokona off and coughs, with only more blood dripping out of her mouth. She crawls across the ground like a worm, over to the blossom tree and slowly starts to go limp.

She'll die from loss of blood now, her fate has been sealed.

I come out from hiding and wander over to the where the murder is taking place. Kokona stands there silently, watching Osana bleeding on the ground, and then stares blankly at me.

I nod to Kokona and give her the final order.

"Good job. Now, kill yourself."

Kokona nods back and uses the same knife she had used to kill Osana on herself. She forces the knife into the side of her own skull and immediately drops to the ground, dead.

She was a nice, obedient slave. If I had kept her around longer, she might have been able to serve me even more, but I cannot allow that. She also loved Senpai and wanted to take him for herself, so death is the only thing that awaited her. I'll find another capable slave, I'm sure of it.

Once I kneel over Kokona's corpse and check the pulse to make sure she's dead, I walk over to Osana and stare at her.

Osana is still alive, just barely hanging on, and her weak expression turns to my direction as she stares weakly at me. More blood slides out of her mouth and another long section of her intestines drop out of her body, and I think a kidney falls out with it as well.

There's no need to pretend to be someone I'm not right now. I kneel beside Osana and smile at her. I've decided now, I'll allow her last moments to be of me. My smile grows as I face her and see just how weak and pathetic she is.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" I laugh dryly, looking directly into Osana's eyes. "But trying to take the one I love hurts more, much more."

Osana coughs again and wheezes before responding quietly.

"Who…are…you…?"

"The person that Senpai deserves. You planned on confessing to him today, didn't you? Well, I couldn't allow that to happen. So, without your own knowledge, we played a little game to see who would win and take Senpai for themselves. As you can see, I'm the victor."

Even though Osana is already dying, her eyes flash with fear and she gasps.

"You mean…Taro…Yamada? He will…never love…a maniac…like you-!" She wheezes angrily at me with whatever strength she can still muster.

"Oh, he _will_ love me. He doesn't have a choice. After all, I'll make sure I'm the only option he'll ever have."

"You…won't…get away with…this!"

"I already have."

Osana's mouth opens once more to retort something back to me, but it's too late for her now. She pants a few times, stares at me with a terrified expression, and finally, her body goes limp.

Osana's finally dead.

A shame, I was hoping it would take her longer to bleed out. There was so much more I wanted to tell her, like how I spent hours on end plotting on killing her, and how hard I tried to make sure she didn't succeed. Still, I'm satisfied. I'm _very_ satisfied.

I wander over to Kokona's corpse, stare at the knife in her hand, and sigh. I want to keep that knife, I've gotten rather attached to it, and it even has both Kokona's and Osana's blood on it. However, the police will need to have a murder weapon and keeping it is quite risky.

Though, I suppose my knife is a good payment for the deaths of two of my rivals, so I'll let it slide.

I begin walking away from the blossom tree and the corpses of my two victims and giggle under my breath. This is getting more and more fun. I'll go to the police station now, and I'll cry and weep as I explain the murder that has occurred, and my plan will go on flawlessly.

This will teach people not to go near my Senpai.

He is mine and no one else's.

And no one will lay even a single finger on him.

No one.


	10. No 9: The Real Challenge

**Hello, all! This is going to be a slightly longer Author's Note than usual, but please bear with me.**

 **I've already made this announcement on my blog, but I shall also be saying it here just in case. I don't want to get into too much detail, but I'll just tell you the basic idea of this.**

 **I've been asked whether or not Ayano will actually succeed in making Senpai hers. I'll answer in this way.**

 **This story will have two endings. They won't be called a Good Ending and a Bad Ending, because whichever ending is good is up to your own personal opinion.**

 **The two endings will be called the Authority Ending and the Yandere Ending, though I cannot say anymore about it. All I can say is that it's already been planned and I'm excited to see how things will go.**

 **Now then!**

 **Special thanks to DaniTheRedDragon, HiDeKiThEhIdDeN, Kazuya Yuki, Mermain123, FallenAngel231312, TrueWhovian, JackFrostnDean, Stuart456, and BobaShaker for following/favouring this story! I seriously don't deserve this kind of support, it means the absolute world to me! You're awesome and you rock, keep being awesome! C:**

 **Feedback is always welcome~! C:**

* * *

I had never been interrogated before, but it was rather fun.

After getting rid of both Osana and Kokona, I immediately rushed to the nearest payphone and called the police. They brought me into a dark room with one table and they sat down and talked to me.

It was easy to fool them.

I cried, wailed, asked if I was going to die too, and other stupid things like that. You know, whatever the authorities would expect of an average schoolgirl.

They bought the act without a second thought and tried everything to calm me down. Eventually, while pretending to be on the edge of tears again, I told them how the murder took place. Kokona and Osana got into an argument and Kokona decided to stab Osana in the chest, and out of shock and regret, Kokona killed herself too. I was coincidently there to see the whole thing unfold.

Usually, the police would be suspicious of even the witness of the crime, but they couldn't bring themselves to place suspicion on a simple, ordinary schoolgirl such as me. In their eyes, I'm just an unlucky, normal girl that has been traumatized by the sight of a murder, nothing more.

I'm still in the interrogation room, staring up at the flickering light bulb attached to the ceiling, and I'm beginning to wonder when they'll let me leave now. It's been a couple of hours that I've been complying with them and answering their questions. I just want to go home and take a nap now, killing two girls in one day was exhausting.

Soon enough, the door to the interrogation room opens and two men walk inside. They seem to be arguing.

"Please, just let me talk to her." A brown-haired man with thick glasses says to the police officer.

"You know I can't do that. You've already got…a reputation around here. I'll get into a lot of trouble." The police officer answers back, shaking his head.

"I'm begging you, just _five_ minutes. We've known each other so long, just help me out in this."

The police officer hesitates and looks left and right and over his shoulders before answering.

"…Five minutes, alright?"

The brown-haired man nods understandingly and fully enters the interrogation room. The police officer leaves and closes the door behind him. It's just me and this strange fellow now.

He sits at the opposite side of the table, staring directly at me, and I start observing. He's definitely not a police officer himself. He's wearing an ordinary, brown coat and navy blue jeans. I do not know who is man is or why he wants to speak to me, but I've still got some time to kill, so I don't protest.

The man glares at me as he shuffles around in his seat and he eventually starts talking.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No idea." I answer back, folding my arms and leaning back into my own chair.

"Well, you can just call me the Journalist."

"Okay, and _why_ are you talking to me?"

"I know you. I know your kind. I know just what goes on in that messed up head of yours. I've dealt with people like you before."

His voice sounds aggressive, but I'm not intimidated by his presence nor his manner of talking.

So, he knows who I am? He knows of the things that lurk within my heart? He can see past my façade? Interesting. _Very_ interesting.

I've never met someone that knows the real me, so this is rather exciting. I could start crying and act traumatized again to get him kicked out of here, but I won't. He has peaked my curiosity, and now I want to know what he wants.

"You've dealt with what kind of people before?" I ask, deciding to avoid admitting who I truly am. We might be being watched right at this moment.

"Serial killers. Maniacs. People with inhumane obsessions. One of them is still after me, chasing me all the way to America and back here to Japan. And I know you're one of them."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The Journalist shakes his head and chuckles dryly.

"Yes, you do, but you're being careful. You don't have to admit it, because I already know it's the truth."

"Why are you here, talking to me?"

"I want to warn you. Stop what you're doing now, do not repeat history again. I lost everything the last time this happened, but I won't allow such a monstrous thing to happen again."

"You're a rather confident person, aren't you?"

"Not confident, but experienced. I _will_ stop you."

I cannot help it. The temptation is simply too great. I lean forward, pressing my elbows against the table between us, and I grin at him.

"I'd like to see you try."

And he grunts and gets out his chair, heads to the door, gives me one more glare, and leaves. I sigh. I truly hope he's not just a pushover, I'd like a little challenge for a change.

A few more men come in, I act exactly the way they expect, and they offer to give me a nice ride home. For a killer, I'm being treated like royalty.

* * *

I step out of the black, sleek car I had been travelling with and thank the driver. The car drives off and I stare at my house. I've only been away for a couple of hours, but it seems like forever, and I can't believe I had killed Osana and Kokona just this afternoon. It feels the same way it felt with Mei Mio's death. After killing, I remain in a dazed state for a while.

It's a strange yet extraordinary feeling. I feel so strong. Two women that threatened to take Senpai away from me are dead, the sensation is absolutely wonderful.

I walk up to the door and open it, surprised to see that it isn't locked. That's odd, I swear I locked it this morning.

I step inside and the sight I see shocks me.

A young girl with red hair and black glasses sits in the middle of the hallway, completely tied up with rope and her mouth covered by a napkin. The girl mumbles and tries to speak, but I don't understand the muffles. She tries to get the napkin off of her so she can talk, but it's been sealed on tight.

I walk inside of the house and stare at the red-haired girl. I'm both surprised and confused. This girl isn't one of my targets, so why is she in my house all tied up?

A figure steps out of the kitchen, tall and skinny. I face that direction and look at the person.

A woman with black, long hair and a gentle smile walks in front of me with an apron on. She walks over to me and kisses me casually on the cheek.

It's…Mother.

"Hello, Honey. How was school?"

Sitting down at the dining table, I quickly eat the pasta that Mother has prepared for me. I bite into it, embracing its warm and delicious taste, and consume it without pausing. If there is one thing that Mother is good at, it's cooking.

I glance over to the tied-up girl in our hallway again and point to her as Mother cleans the dishes in the sink.

"So," I speak, pasta still moving around in my mouth. "Who's that person?"

Mother scrubs down one of the plates in the sink with a soaked sponge and looks at their hostage.

"Oh, right, her. I caught the girl sneaking around our house while you were out. I tied her up to make sure she didn't do anything else."

"And why is she still here?"

"Well," Mother admits sheepishly. "Originally, I _was_ going to call the police and let them take her away, but I remembered that you're coming home and decided to cook first. I'm done now, so I'll go get the phone."

I nod and watch as Mother leaves the room. I did not expect her to be back home so soon, but it does not change the plan that much. Mother has never pried into my affairs, she won't become a burden. I've only just noticed now, but Father doesn't seem to be back yet. I'll be sure to ask Mother later.

I get out of my chair and lick my lips, a nice dinner for a hard-worked day. I wander over to the tied-up girl and carefully take the napkin off of her mouth. She glares at me with frustration and growls.

"Your mom is crazy," She hisses to me. Her voice sounds very familiar.

This voice…it couldn't be…

"Are you Info-chan?" I ask her, blinking blankly at her.

"Yeah. Pleasure to meet you, Ayano." She grins, her thick glasses almost slipping off of her face.

"So, you were searching my house? I thought we were allies."

"We _are_ allies." Info-chan states with a firm expression. "Curiosity just got the better of me, that's all."

"Curiousity killed the cat, surely you've heard of that saying."

"Oh please, I didn't do any damage, did I? Is this because you don't trust me? I've already helped you out so many times. Ayano, if I wanted you arrested, I could have already exposed you multiple times."

There's truth to her words. Even though I could've fought back against her, she hasn't even attempted to take me down. I don't really trust her yet, but at the same time, she hasn't given me a reason not to trust her. I glare down at her and fold my arms.

"Maybe,"

"Now, could you please untie me?"

"Why?"

"Your mom might've said that she hasn't handed me over to the police yet because she was cooking, but we both know that's a lie. She wants to question me herself. And while I don't know your mom very well, I don't want to be alone with her."

"I really don't see why I should let you go."

"You need my services, Ayano. You would have already been caught by now if it wasn't for me. Face it, you want me operated for you."

"But I also don't want you searching my home."

"I promise. I won't set another foot in this household again. Do whatever you want to me if I come here again."

I tilt my head and consider what she's saying. I _do_ need her, she is incredibly helpful and resourceful, but I'm not sure if I can keep trusting someone I do not really know.

In the end, I don't really have a choice. She's a good pawn for now, I need to keep her. I'll just have to keep a closer eye on her from now on.

"Alright," I grumble as I kneel down towards her and slowly untie the ropes.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me. If I ever find you betraying my trust again…" I mutter quietly into her ear.

The rope comes off and I lean in closer to her face, staring threateningly into her eyes.

"…I'll kill you like the rest."

* * *

It's Sunday, and school is open again.

I'm very thankful for that. I don't enjoy school itself at all, but it's the only time where I can freely watch Senpai and admire his perfection.

I stare at other students as I walk through the front gates. They all look nervous and do not chat as much as they usually do, but that is to be expected. Two of their fellow classmates are dead.

Still, they're not as paranoid as they should be, as the police officially named Kokona Haruka as the murderer of Osana Najimi. And now that Kokona is dead, they all believe that the danger is no longer present.

When I, the true killer, am walking casually amongst them.

Sometimes I get really curious and the temptation to just burst out and say that I'm the one behind it all is very strong, but I hold it back. I cannot let them know who I truly am, or I'll never have Senpai as my own.

My mission is practically complete now.

I mean, now with both of my rivals out of the picture, there isn't much left to get rid of anymore. Of course, I'll still be keeping a careful eye out for girls that decide to try and take Senpai away from me, but I've pretty much won already.

I'm invincible.

Seriously, killing two girls at my school and not getting caught, I'm basically untouchable. I kept Kokona in my own basement and tortured her all night, carving letters into her face and suffocating her with water, and eventually made her my slave. And Osana, I killed her without even laying a finger on her.

These two murders have been committed by me, and the police don't even have a clue.

It either shows how absurdly incompetent they are, or how skilled and determined I am.

This feeling of excitement and joy is filling me up and I embrace it. It's wonderful knowing that I've killed two girls that could have potentially taken my dear Senpai away from me. They're dead. And dead people aren't any trouble. They knew what they were getting into, trying to take Senpai for themselves. They don't love Senpai nearly as much as I do. I'll give him a wonderful life, and I'll protect him from all harm. I'm the only one he deserves.

I wander over to the locker room, ready to place my bag inside and prepare for class, but I spot Senpai walking in the same direction and stare at him from behind.

Oh, it's just great to be able to see him again after all of this time. That perfect, flawlessly-shaped face, that bright smile, his flowing black hair. Nothing in this world can possible match up to his beauty. And soon he'll be mine, all mine.

But I pause and stop admiring Senpai as a girl rushes up to him and locks her arms in his. They walk beside each other and start chatting.

The girl is shorter, has black hair too, and her voice is loud.

My hands instinctively clench into fists and I glare at the girl that's actually touching my Senpai. Who is this woman? Why is she daring to touch Senpai? Does she want to die?

Do I have to kill her too?

Because I will.

I will. I swear I will. No one will touch Senpai except for me. She has to die.

The black-haired girl turns around and looks at me, noticing how close I am, and sticks out her tongue at me.

"What are you looking at, weirdo? Are you eyeing Big Brother, you pervert?" She sniggers at me, giving me a cold look.

Senpai turns around and looks at who his little sister is talking to. He actually looks at me in the eyes and shows me his incredible smile.

"S-Sorry! My sister doesn't mean it." He mutters to me before walking off, his little sister latching onto him and not letting go.

But I remain still. My muscles don't move and I cannot breathe. I should feel happy that Senpai has actually talked to me, but I'm incapable of feeling happiness right now.

I didn't know that this would happen.

I couldn't even imagine something like this happening.

I'm prepared to kill anyone to get closer to Senpai, but killing his sister? How can I do such a thing? If I do, Senpai will be heartbroken.

My bag slips off of my shoulder and falls to the ground. I stare as Senpai and his little sister walk side by side to the classrooms and I feel my head start to twitch. It violently shakes from side-to-side, and I know now that it's not over.

I now have both the Journalist and Senpai's little sister in my way. I came so close to making Senpai mine, but now they threaten to stop me as well.

I understand now. It's not over yet. My mission to kill anyone in my way isn't over yet.

Not by a long shot.


	11. No 10: Paying For Your Sins

This is not like anything I've ever experienced before.

For the first time, I'm tasting defeat.

I cannot believe how foolish I once was, thinking that nothing could touch me after killing Kokona and Osana, I honestly thought that I had won.

I hadn't won anything.

Ever since that day, Senpai's little sister has been sticking close to him no matter where he goes, probably out of fear for what has been happening at school with all the deaths. I've been attending school normally, watching Senpai and his little sister from a far distance, but I can never seem to understand how that little sister operates.

Kokona and Osana were far easier, I could get into their foolish little heads in a matter of seconds, but I cannot do the same for Senpai's sister.

One of the biggest problems, however, is that Senpai's sister seems to know about me, or at least to a certain extent. She always takes Senpai to areas where I'm not at. If I'm in the cafeteria, she'll make sure that Senpai goes to the library instead, for example. Perhaps she has spotted me watching Senpai from afar, or perhaps it's just a coincidence, I truly don't know.

Another problem is that I'm constantly being watched myself. I hadn't taken the Journalist seriously when I had first met him, but it seems he's becoming a difficult opponent as well. Every time I pay attention and stare at my surroundings, there's always a shadow glaring at me from a long distance, and by the time I've noticed the shadow, it leave me before I can confront it. It must be the Journalist doing this, there's no doubt.

And now, for the very first time, I do not know what to do.

That's right, I'm admitting it. I have no idea what to do next.

How can I? Just look at this situation. I cannot get rid of Senpai's little sister because she's stuck to his side like glue at all times, and there's no way I could do something murderous in front of Senpai, and I cannot operate normally because the Journalist always has his sights on me. For the first time since I've been trying to make Senpai mine, I'm locked down in a position where everything I attempt will do nothing.

I can't believe I actually thought that Kokona and Osana were a challenge. They're nothing compared to my new opponents. At the moment, my hands are completely tied and I cannot do anything. I called Info-chan a few hours ago, asking her to find out more about Senpai's little sister in exchange for another panty shot, but waiting until I receive more information is excruciating. Senpai would be in my hands by now if that damned little sister and that damned Journalist weren't in my way.

I walk down the first floor hallways of the school, listening to the bell ring. Our first lesson for the day has finally passed and I have free time. If this was any other day, I'd be admiring Senpai and his perfected face, but with his little sister in the way, I can't do that anymore. I have nothing to do.

Instead, I decide to walk past the club rooms. There's a lot of them, but none of them have ever been able to interest me. Still, I take another look at them while walking past. There's many different kinds of clubs, such as the gardening, occult, martial arts, and others that I haven't bothered to find out. The only one that has slightly caught my attention is the martial arts club, since it can come in handy if things go south during one of my killings. Also, potential targets might be a part of that club, which means they'll be aware of moves that I am not. Something like that cannot be allowed to happen, I have to be the strongest and the most capable student in this school if I want to win Senpai.

And being unable to do anything else, joining a club that can benefit me seems like a good hand to play this turn.

So instead of passing the martial arts room, I decide to enter it. Stepping in, I can already feel the vibe of strength and resilience emitting from the atmosphere. I've never been in a club room before, but it's quite expansive, and four students are already practicing what seems to be punches. I raise an eyebrow, this is becoming less and less like a good idea, I need to learn how to kill, not how to punch.

Either way, I walk over to the black-haired guy commanding the people on the training mats. He's constantly shouting out commands and the four students are doing as he says, he must be the leader of this club.

"Hey," I say normally as I approach him. "This is the martial arts club, right?"

The black-haired boy pauses and looks at me for a moment, his arms folded, and he nods enthusiastically.

"That's right! My name is Budo Masuta, welcome to our club. Are you here to spar or do you wish to join us?"

"I'd like to join, if that's no trouble."

"Alright then! I'll register you in." He cheers back as he holds out a clipboard with around fifteen names written on it. I eye the names carefully, there are some I recognize but most of the names are new to me.

Budo pulls out a black pen and places the end of it on the paper attached to the clipboard and looks up at me again.

"Okay, what's your name?"

I hesitate. I do not enjoy saying my name out loud, though I'm unsure why. It's just something that leaves a bad taste in my mouth after speaking it, but I don't really have much of a choice, do I?

"Ayano Aishi."

"Ayano…Aishi…" Budo repeats back slowly, writing my name at the bottom of the list, an excited smile on his face. "There. Your name is now on the list. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"No problem! Okay, so all you need to know is that you can practice sparring or training during lunch breaks, but real sessions begin after school. As you can see, only a few people show up during lunch breaks. After school is when everyone is here."

"Okay," I nod, taking in all of the information given to me. "I understand."

"Great! So, do you want to start now or once the school day is finished?"

Usually, I would never give up precious school time when I could be plotting against my opponents, but with no options being presented to me until Info-chan gives me a call, this is all I can do now. I nod to Budo again, trying my best to look just as enthusiastic as he is.

"I'll start now, just to get the hang of things."

"Awesome! Okay, there are sparring clothes in that booth over there." Budo explains to me while pointing at a small wooden booth at the end of the room. "You can start the moment you get changed."

Without the need for further exchanges of words, I leave Budo and walk over to the other end of the room and enter the small booth.

It's quite small in here, only enough space for one person to be in it at a time, so I decide to be quick with my changing. I glance around the booth, trying to see where the clothing for the martial arts are, and it's in a drawer at the top left corner of the booth. I open up the drawer and see the clothes that I have to wear. It's white, traditional fighting clothing, like the ones I've seen people practicing Karate wearing. Though, from what I've heard, this club focuses on mixed martial arts, so there will be a little bit of everything that I'll be learning.

I slide my school clothes off, not feeling the slightest bit embarrassed, and put the martial arts clothes on. It's a little small for me, and it's quite tight around the hips, but except from that it's soft and comfortable. I step out of the booth again, making sure to keep my school clothes in the drawer I left empty, and see Budo standing outside.

"All dressed? Okay then, we'll begin right away."

"What will we be doing first?"

"Well, firstly, I need to know just how capable you are before I can teach you. So, you'll be sparring against whomever you want."

"I can choose?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

I remain silent and start thinking, he's right. I need to show just what I can and cannot do. I stare out to the four students in the room, except for Budo, and start judging. Two of them are males and two of them are females.

The first male student looks rather skinny, having spiked purple hair and a feeble-like figure overall. I need someone tougher than that, something that will show Budo what I can actually do.

I glance at the other three students but they do not seem to peak my interest either. They're all skinny and wimpy-looking, and by sparring against people like that, it will simply make me weak too.

I picture Senpai's face in my mind. He's quite skinny and feeble too, but that is what makes him so utterly adorable. He'll need someone, me, to be strong enough to protect him from all harm. I can be that person for him, I'll make sure I'm strong enough to give him whatever he desires, even if I have to tear someone apart in order for that to happen.

Budo Masuta sees my hesitation and lack of an answer and grins knowingly.

"Don't think these newbies can challenge you? Well, how about sparring against me?"

I stare at Budo. Now he seems like a challenge. He's largely built and you can feel the aura of toughness projecting from him, but perhaps it is far too much of a leap for me to fight against him just yet. Being the leader and owner of this club, he must have plenty of years of experience with hand-to-hand combat. I never understood hand-to-hand combat, I mean, a simple knife has done the job for me, though I suppose it's still useful to know what to do if I do not have my knife for any reason.

"Okay, I'll spar against-" I begin to answer, deciding that fighting against Budo is better than fighting against the four weaklings in the room with us.

But I pause and turn my head instinctively as the door to the room opens up again, and someone else enters the martial arts room. I glare at the person and my eyes widen.

At first, I'm frustrated to see this person, but after a few seconds, I realize just how wonderful of an opportunity this will actually be for me.

A short girl steps through the door and smiles calmly at Budo, she has short black hair put into pigtails. She has a similar look in her eyes like her brother, but everything else about her disgusts me.

It's Senpai's little sister.

"Ah," Budo claps his hands together, smiling at Senpai's little sister. "Hanako, it's so great you could make it. We've got a newcomer here that needs a sparring partner, do you want to try?"

Hanako, huh?

That's Senpai's little sister's name. Interesting, very interesting.

I have to do my very best in front of Budo and the rest of the students not to leap forward and attack Hanako right here and now. No matter how good I am at killing, doing so in front of so many people will be the end of me.

Hanako sees me and I see something flash in her eyes. Fear? Hate? Boredom? There's no way for me to tell since it happened so fast, but I know that she's unwilling.

"I'm not sure…I'm not really in the mood for sparring and-"

But I cut in. This is exactly what I've been needing. Firstly, I now know of one of the times during school when Hanako will leave Senpai's side, which gives me a window of time to do whatever I wish to her as long as I'm careful.

And secondly, I can pummel her to a pulp now that we're both in the martial arts club.

"No, it's fine." I say, interrupting Hanako before she can say no. "I want to spar against her."

"Are you sure? She hasn't changed into her uniform or stretched yet." Budo says to me, a sign of confusion on his face. He has no idea why I'm suddenly so ready to fight against her.

"Oh," I smile happily, my hands clenching into fists behind me. "I can wait."

It takes around five minutes for Senpai's little sister, Hanako, to get changed and ready, and every second of those five minutes are agonizing, but I sigh in relief as she finally exits the changing booth.

There's a tingling sensation rushing throughout my entire body, these few days since she's become an enemy of mine, I've imagined doing so many torturous things to her. And now, being able to hit her as much as I want, this is going to be very enjoyable.

Of course, I know I'll have to limit how much I hit her, considering how the rest of the class are going to be watching us.

I step onto the purple mat in the middle of the room, taking a deep breath as the four students and Budo stand around the mat, observing carefully. Hanako appears in the same white uniform and I'm able to see her properly. She's incredibly short even though she's not that younger than Senpai, and she's clearly flat. She holds out her arms in front of her chest, but I'm not sure if that's because she's embarrassed about her flat chest or if she's in a ready pose. Either way, I get into my own ready pose. I spread my legs out, hold my fists out in front of me, and shut down everything else around me.

It's one of the things I've always been able to do since I've been younger.

With this ability, everything I do not need to pay attention to disappears into absolute darkness and the person I want to focus on is the only one I can see. While using this concentration ability of mine, everything also seems to slow down slightly. I've used this ability many times as a child, such as when I went to an amusement park with my Father, with my natural ability I could never lose him in the crowds and waves of other adults.

Budo holds out his right arm in front of himself and positions it between us, beginning the countdown to the spar.

"Are you ready?" He asks to Hanako first, and Hanako gives a simple nod, her pigtails swaying through the air. Then Budo looks at me and repeats himself again. "Are you ready?"

I also nod, trying my best not to look happy about having to fight Hanako. He nods back to the both of us and swings his hand downwards, signalling our start.

"Okay then, fight!"

The moment I hear the words of confirmation from Budo that our sparring has started, I lung forward towards Hanako, sliding across the mat.

It's difficult to move around on a mat. You can slip very easily and you'll have to adapt to the fact that your feet will sink into it with every step. Still, I move swiftly across the mat and throw a left hook at Hanako, hoping to hit that stupid jaw of hers that allowed her to talk to my Senpai.

The left hook doesn't connect though.

Hanako catches it in her right palm and uses my own force to push me backwards, it works.

I do not fall back very far and I retain my balance, but it makes me unable to properly block her next move.

This time she decides to attack, trying to kick me in the stomach. I don't want that happening, I got kicked in the gut back when I strangling Mei Mio to death, and I can confidently say that I'm not fond of the pain it brings. I lean to the left, but I don't completely dodge the kick and it still grazes against the side of my stomach. Still, I'd choose getting hit in the side of my stomach than the centre any day. I pant as I take a few steps back and wait for Hanako's next move. The good news is that I haven't been forced to use my concentration ability yet, but the bad news is that so far I don't think I've impressed Budo and the rest.

Hanako remains still, just holding out her arms, and I realize that she's waiting for me to make the next move. Very well, I'll do just that.

I rush towards her and attempt to tackle her, like those bulky men do on television, but Hanako clearly sees that coming.

She grabs me by the waist and throws me.

No joke, she _throws_ me.

I remain in the air for a few moments, unable to fathom what just happened. But when my face and back meets the softness of the mat, I realize what just occurred and I quickly scramble to my feet.

But I'm thrown back onto to the mat as her fist meets with the side of my face.

I don't feel pain, I don't feel the force behind the punch, I don't feel anything like that.

I only feel rage.

As I get to my feet this time, I see Hanako try to punch my face the same way she did before, but this time things are different.

I didn't want to use it, but I'm using my ability now.

Everything moves in slow motion and there's only darkness between Hanako and I. I watch casually as her fist slowly moves towards me, and I smile happily at it, though most of that smile is seething with rage.

I don't understand why or how I can do this when no one else cannot, but I don't question it. It makes things a hell of a lot easier for me, so I guess it's just a bonus.

Once I've had my fun staring at Hanako's fist gradually reaching my face, I stop the punch by forcing my fist into her face first. The collision is incredibly satisfying, finally being able to land a hit on her, and I giggle under my breath as she loses balance and falls onto her backside.

I blink for a second and I see Budo and the others again. They're all grinning, glad to have watched such a short yet thrilling sparring match. I have to admit it, even though I couldn't care less for these people, it's fun to have them admire my strength and capability.

However, as I glance to Hanako, who is still sitting on the mat, I see her staring me with horror as she rubs her jaw with her hand. It's not the sad eyes of defeat or the angered eyes that are hungry for revenge, but the eyes of someone who has seen a ghost. She frantically forces herself onto her feet and points at me with her other hand.

"Did you…did you all see that?!" She screams out, her voice very high-pitched.

"See what?" Budo asks back, a raised eyebrow on his face.

And then Hanako says something that surprises me to the point where I quickly grab my things and leave the martial arts club's room.

"Her eyes were glowing!"

* * *

I quickly walk down the steps, heading to the ground floor of the school.

After my little training session in the martial arts club, I've been on edge.

No one in the club believed what Hanako had said about me, about my eyes, and they simply chuckled at her and called her a sore loser.

But not me, I couldn't stand being there anymore and I left in a hurry. Do my eyes really glow when I use my concentration ability? I know that my ability isn't normally but to think that my eyes can physically glow is terrifying. Whatever happened, Hanako is starting to suspect that I'm not an ordinary student anymore, and that's very problematic. Now I know that she's not always besides Senpai's side, I can eliminate her with a good enough plan, but if she starts spreading rumours about me beforehand then things might become even more difficult.

Not to mention, I still have the Journalist to worry about. Every time I leave school through the front gates, I can see an outline of him in the distance within the car park, with an object in his hands looking like a camera.

He's waiting for me to slip up, that's his strategy. He knows I still have a target to eliminate and he's waiting for the perfect opportunity for me to make a mistake so he can show the world who I really am. Just one slip-up is all that's needed for the police to want my head, thanks to the Journalist. I'm still unsure of how I'm supposed to kill someone like them. Killing people the same age or younger than me is easy and I do not hesitate, but a fully grown adult? That's something completely new. I have no idea just how capable an adult is supposed to be and I do not really want to try and find out.

Still, if he's going to continue to be such a difficult obstacle to get past, he'll have to disappear.

I picture his face, the way he looked when we met in the interrogation room. He had dry skin and a thin layer of a beard on his face. His hair was brown and his eyes looked tired, as though he had experienced enough for a lifetime already. He possessed an incredibly deep voice as well, the one that would naturally strike terror into the hearts of those who crossed him, or perhaps he's wearing façade like me and he's actually weak. There's no way to be sure.

Either way, I don't want to be within his line of sight, so this time I'll leave through the doors on the left side of the school.

I walk through the empty hallways, my bag hanging on my back, and reach the side exits. I place my hand onto the handle and open it slowly, seeing the bright light outside.

But something else catches my attention and refuses to let go of it.

The classroom to my right, the one right beside the exit, has a light coming out of it and I hear a voice. The voice is far too quiet to hear properly but I know I'm hearing something.

School has ended, no one else should be here.

I cannot explain accurately what I'm feeling, but I feel something like an instinct, as though I _have_ to enter that room and see who is inside. A gut feeling, something that needs to be done. I'm sure that it's nothing, perhaps someone is simply staying behind after school to read a book or something stupid like that, but my instincts are telling me something very different.

In the end, I cannot say no to my instincts and I let go of the door handle to head towards the classroom.

Placing my hand on the door to the classroom, I press my ear against its rough surface and listen to the supposed voice I had heard.

And this time, I can hear what the voice is saying.

"There's no need to be shy, come in." A soft, female voice whispers ominously to me. This seems dangerous, but if the person already knows I'm here, I don't see why not.

I push the doors open and enter the classroom, expecting to see a girl standing there, waiting for me.

Instead, all that's waiting for me is a laptop and a table.

Both the light and the voice I had heard is coming from this laptop. Its screen does not display anything but a distorted image of a black figure. The image is so distorted that I cannot make out the shape of the person nor anything about them, but the voice I'm hearing is definitely a girl.

"I knew you would come." The voice says after a long pause of utter silence. I readjust the bag on my back and stare at the laptop, wondering who is at the other end.

"Who are you?"

"Someone that detests your existence. I know about everything you've done and about all of the sins you have committed. I cannot allow you to continue."

No matter how hard I try I cannot recognize the voice. It's not the voice of anyone I know or have met, neither is it the voice of the girls I listen to in the hallways. I continue to stare at the laptop, deciding whether or not punching it would seem mature.

"You do not know me."

"Oh, I know exactly who you are, Aishi-chan."

I pause and my eyes widen. I take a few steps back from the laptop, glaring at it hatefully, and the voice continues, sounding more smug than either.

" **Or do prefer the name…Yandere-chan?"**


	12. No 11: The One That Got Away

I stare silently at the laptop screen, listening to every word that comes out of it.

The person who's talking to me doesn't seem to have any interest in hearing what I have to say. She simply speaks by herself, asserting her own presence as the dominant one, though I don't feel the same way.

"Your kind disgusts me and has been around for long enough. You are an illness and I am the cure. I shall make sure you don't bother this school of mine any longer." She states with a clear tone of hatred in her voice.

Interesting, she calls this school hers. She must really think that this school is in the palm of her hands or something nearly as foolish. For a moment I wonder if I should just burst into laughter, but instead I decide to at least hear whatever she has to say.

"If you honestly think I'll allow what happened all those years ago to happen again, you're wrong. I won't tolerate something like that."

I fold my arms. Here we go again with the repeating history conversation.

I have to admit, I've gotten slightly tired of it now. I understand that someone similar to me has tried to do something I'm now trying to do, but that doesn't mean anything. I am not just another statistic.

"Are you listening, Yandere-chan? I will crush you." She eventually stops and pauses.

I listen to the pause and realize that her rambling has finally ended, I can finally start talking back. Firstly, I decide to try to make sense out of what she's saying.

"Yandere-chan…? That's not my name."

"It is to me." The person in the laptop hisses back, I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't even know what that means."

The voice in the computer pauses and sounds slightly surprised when she starts talking again.

"You…don't know what a Yandere is…?"

"Is it a topping on a pizza? It sounds like one."

The voice sighs.

"Well, you'll understand what that means soon enough. After all, it's in your blood, isn't it?"

"Just who are you?"

"There's no point in exchanging proper names right now. You don't even deserve to call me by my name."

The light on the laptop screen begins to dimmer, and the fuzzy image of an outline of a person becomes slightly more faint. The voice begins to giggle and eventually, I start to feel a little nervous.

"I know people, Yandere-chan. People that can destroy you in the blink of an eye. You have no idea how much powerful I hold. Do you even have anyone by your side to call upon?"

"A knife has usually sufficed for me."

"Not only are you a fool, but you're a fool with no allies."

Allies, huh? Well, I suppose Info-chan could be considered an ally, but at the same time I would never trust her with anything important. She's not the most trustworthy of people, but she's useful thanks to her vast amount of trivial knowledge. She's like a talking library, if I'm to be honest.

"You do not know me, whoever you are, so I am not helpless against you." I respond back to the laptop, putting on a brave façade. It's not real, but I try my best to make it seem that way.

"Oh, I know far more about you than you realize. I know that you're the one behind Mei Mio's death, and the deaths of both Osana and Kokona."

My heart beats faster.

Not only does this person know I'm not normal, she also knows exactly what crimes I've committed. It could just be a lucky guess, but the chances of something like that occurring is incredibly low. Whoever this person is, listening to their voice, I'm sure it's not someone at our school. That means someone has been feeding this person information at some point or another.

An image of Info-chan enters my mind for a moment.

It could be her, I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to go against me, but for some reason I have my doubts that she'd betray me like this. She seems obsessed in helping me with my mission, she wouldn't want it to end already, not when it's just begun. No, she'll want to see it through to the very end. That's the kind of person Info-chan is.

"You cannot prove I was involved in any of those incidents at our school." I eventually say back.

"I know I can't. You are a very clever person that covers up their tracks with ease. That's why I know I'll need people by my side when I take you down."

"I will not be stopped."

"Oh, I think you will. You see, my strongest ally is already so close that you're unable to do anything, right?"

I pause and remain confused of who she's talking about.

And then it immediately hits me.

The Journalist.

He's working with whoever this person inside the laptop is. He's been working beside her, and has been able to follow me around everywhere thanks to the information this person somehow has. She's allied with an adult that knows people like me. This is what she meant by powerful friends.

"You're working with the Journalist?"

"He's suffered because of someone very similar to you, so when I gave him the power to help bring you down, he accepted without any hesitation. He has one of the best cameras in the world, with almost the highest amount of megapixels, and he's just waiting patiently to take a picture of anything he can use as evidence against you."

I stay silent, unable to say anything else.

The person in the laptop continues smugly, giggling in delight.

"Do you see now? It's only a matter of time before you reach your demise. Stop what you're doing right now, or you're going to have a bad time."

And then the call ends.

The laptop slowly dimmers its light until it closes off completely, shutting down automatically. She has nothing more to say to me, this was just a warning message she wanted me to have.

I carefully walk over to the laptop, lift it up and hold it in my hands, then throw it across the room, watching quietly as it collides into the wall and crumbles down into small pieces of computer chips.

No one threatens me.

No one.

* * *

That entire yesterday, I was bubbling with rage.

I hadn't been able to hurt Hanako as much as I wanted to, I couldn't stay close to Senpai because I was constantly being watched, and at the end of the day I found out that someone extremely powerful wants me out of this school immediately.

Yeah, not exactly what I would call the perfect day.

However, today, I'm finally relaxed and back to my normal self again. I know that I'm being fought against three different opponents, all dangerous in their own ways, but this is something to be expected on my way to Senpai's heart. Osana and Kokona were just the tip of the iceberg, but these people are far more challenging, and I know I have to stay focused if I wish to defeat them all.

First thing I'm doing now is heading to a café.

School had ended and I had just left from martial arts practice. Hanako wasn't there. I don't know why, perhaps what happened in our sparring match yesterday has made her uncomfortable. Now, still in my school uniform, I'm going to this small café two streets down from Akademi High. Why am I going there? Well, I need information more than anything right now. I have to find weaknesses in my opponents in order to start striking again. Right now, I'm not in the position for any killing, but information might help change the tides of this battle.

And who has more information than Info-chan?

Yes, for the first time, I've decided to meet her in person. We've already seen each other's faces because she had broken into my house, but this is the first time we've actually met each other when we both want to.

I called her and told her I needed information, but I never imagined she would invite to somewhere such as a café. I've never been inside one.

And as I stop in front of the one that I'm supposed to meet Info-chan in, I realize exactly why I don't go to cafes.

It's an animal café.

The moment I step inside, a cold breeze brushes against me and I smell cakes and coffee. All around me are female maids dressed in what seem to be cat and dog costumes. They walk around cheerfully and serve the customers, giving voluntary meows and woofs every now and then in order to please their guests. I sigh. This place is absolutely ridiculous, in every sense of that word.

I see two seats positioned next to a window, with a red-haired girl sitting down and slurping on a milkshake. I could recognize those thick glasses and strange hair at any time and at any place, which is not a good thing.

She smiles as she watches me approach the booth she's sitting at, and I slide onto the other chair and stare at her, not bothering to return any petty smile back. Has she just brought me here to see how I would react?

If so, I want to hurt her.

In front of many people.

With a hammer.

"You're looking rather cheerful, Aishi-chan. How are things?" Info-chan giggles to me.

I'd love to take those glasses off of her and smack it across her face.

"I'm fine, thank you." I instead say, deciding to keep my cool even though she's brought me to someplace like this.

"How do you like the costumes? I think they're very cute."

"You're just doing this to annoy me."

"Oh, come on, Aishi-chan. Lighten up a little bit! You're sending out such a dark and gloomy atmosphere all the time, it's really not healthy to never be happy."

Wrong. Incorrect.

I can be happy.

Like whenever I see Senpai, or whenever I can lick some of his saliva off of the apple he threw in the bin, or when I can admire the pictures I've taken of him, or-

Well, Info-chan doesn't need to know about those things.

I decide to order a simple latte now that I'm here at this café, but when the female waiter comes and gives me my drink, I cringe at every meow that she would make. They don't have to do it, they must see that I'm not enjoying their meows and barks, yet they do it anyway.

Taking a sip of my drink, I look back up at Info-chan again and observe her more carefully now. She's wearing a short blue skirt and a pink shirt, with what seems to be a French hat on her head. She seems to be around my age too, perhaps only a year older.

"Now," Info-chan says, pulling out her pink phone and scrolling through the notes she had written down. "It's time for me to give you some more information, right?"

"Yes,"

"Well, do you have some panty shots for me?"

I sigh. I cannot believe I have to do something like this just to get some information out of her. It's foolish.

I hold my own phone out and show the photos I had taken in school. There are plenty different kinds of panties, such as bear-patterned ones, pink ones, black ones, and much more.

It's not difficult for me to acquire such photos, the girls have never noticed me when I do not want them to. It's risky, and Senpai wouldn't be happy knowing I'm doing something like this. But it's for our future together, Senpai and I. This is necessary for us to love each other in peace.

Info-chan nods at the photos and gives me a satisfied smile.

"Oh, this will do just fine."

"Then give me what I want."

Info-chan nods her head slowly and leans back in her seat, brushing a strand of red hair out of her face.

"The first thing you need to know is that the Senpai's little sister is known to be a little rascal that loves her brother and wants all of his attention. Rumours are that she's actually not that good at martial arts but pretends to be so, and that she's never been in a proper fight."

"Does she have any kind of weaknesses? Peanuts? Anything?"

"As far as my research has gone, no. There's nothing much to say about the Hanako Yamada, but I recommend that you be careful about how you get rid of her."

"Because of the Journalist, right?" I mutter.

Once again, Info-chan nods and her expression turns into a frown. She folds her arms and leans them against the table between us, making sure to cautiously lower her voice down to a whisper. She readjusts her glasses before speaking, and when she does, there's a tone of uncertainty in her voice.

"That man is something else, Aishi-chan. I have almost no intel on hi whatsoever. Everything I've checked has come up empty, as though he's been wiped from all the records. No matter from what angle you look at it, he's like a ghost with only one desire, stopping you."

"He's no ghost." I whisper back, trying my best not to show my fear. It's true, he's constantly giving me an unsettling feeling. I shake off the shivering that's occurring in my back and glare back at Info-chan. "So, what can you tell me about him?"

"What? I just said he's been erased from every official record."

"But you also just said that you've found _almost_ nothing about him. That means you still have some information on him, even if it's not official."

Info-chan gives an entertained grin and chuckles.

"Yes, well, I have a few things to say about him. The first thing I learnt is that he was probably involved in the incident that happened at Akademi High thirty years ago."

Yes, that's true. I've had my suspicions about that for a while.

After all, he acted as though he knew exactly who I was and said that he had dealt with my kind before. I'm not going to lie, but it really seemed like he knew what he was saying. There was a look in his eyes, both angry and desperate at the same time. He seriously wants me to give it up, but he should know that I'll never do something as terrible as that.

Senpai and I need to be together, and killing anyone that might come in the way of that is exactly what needs to be done.

I'll do anything for my Senpai, anything at all, even if I have to go against all of these people that threaten to defeat me after everything I've done.

That won't happen. I've already achieved so much, there's no way I'm letting anything take that away from me.

I remember the Journalist's voice, however, and I recall just how deep and sad it sounded when he said it.

 _Don't repeat history._

"Anything else?" I ask of Info-chan, snapping back into the real world again. It's very easy to get lost in my own thoughts. "Something I should know?"

"Well, according to his movements through the streets and how long it takes for him to follow you depending on your location, I'm starting to pinpoint where his house might be, or at least where he's currently staying at."

"Good, keep looking into it, that's something very essential for a time like this."

We both pause and take a long sip of our drinks, enjoying at while it lasts. Info-chan finishes first and starts speaking again while I'm still drinking.

"Also, I've got a plan for you, something that might sound very nice."

I stare silently for a moment, undeniably intrigued.

"And what is that?"

Info-chan leans in forward again and has her smug expression on her face, the exact expression that annoys me so much.

"Did you know why I brought you to this animal café?"

I pause and glance around myself, seeing all the young girls and boys dressed up in cat and dog costumes, acting like utter fools. It's not very difficult for me to suspect what her purpose was.

"You want to annoy me."

"Wrong, it's a much better reason. You see, I actually work here."

Seeing no reason to hide it, I glare at Info-chan for a while with a disgusted expression.

"…Seriously?"

"What? It pays well, okay? Anyway, my shift is in around an hour from now." Info-chan informs me as she looks down at her watch. "You're going to be working in my shift, though."

There's another long pause of absolute silence, and as I raise my eyebrow and get out of my seat, Info-chan starts panicking as I head towards the door.

"Wait!"

"Absolutely not. I'd rather die than ever dress up as one of those fools."

"Wait," Info-chan repeats, holding my shoulder and staring seriously at me now. Trying her best to show that she's not joking about this. "Trust me, this is for a good cause. You've wanted to be able to hurt Hanako, right? This is the way."

I have no idea what's going on in Info-chan's head and if she actually has a plan for me to kill Hanako.

But if the opportunity is now presenting itself, I have to take it.

Wow, this plan is so foolish it might actually work.

Info-chan explained the details to me and how Hanako actually comes to this café almost every day. She doesn't stay for a long time but it's the time when she's most defenceless.

Also, for whatever reason, the Journalist doesn't come to this side of town, which is near my house. It's strange that he would follow me around everywhere except for the place where I actually live, but I won't complain, this is a serious advantage. Finally, I don't have a pair of eyes watching my every movements, I can now do things freely again.

The only problem is how I'm going to kill her in a café.

And Info-chan's solution for this only makes me hate her more.

I stare silently into the mirror in front of me, in the middle of a small changing room. I'm wearing the same animal maid costumes that the waiters here are wearing.

The urge to take off this ridiculous outfit and rip it into a million shreds is indescribable. How do the girls here stay sane after wearing this thing every day?

I'm a teenage serial killer from a high school, but I bet I'm still more civilized than the people who made this costume.

I wiggle the tail attached to my rear, how utterly foolish. There's actually a fake tail attached to my backside, and it's incredibly uncomfortable.

Well, the last thing that's left is the cat mask. I slip it on and look outside through the eyeholes of the mask. It's slightly hard to breathe in here but it covers up my face completely, which is exactly what I need. Thanks to this mask, even though it's one of the most stupid things in existence, no one will be able to tell that I'm not Info-chan. No one will realize that I'm not an actual employee here.

Surprisingly, the brilliance of this plan comes from its stupidity.

Info-chan slips into the changing room with me and observes me from head-to-toe, looking the happiest I've ever seen her. I growl.

"Oh my god, Aishi-chan, you're just so cute!" She giggles, clapping her hands excitedly together and making a little hop on the spot.

"It'll hurt no less if I punch you while in this costume." I bark back and Info-chan immediately wipes her smile off of her face.

She steps closer and readjusts a few of the sides of the costume, as though it actually matters, and eventually nods her head at me.

"Okay, time to be a maid."

I then exit the changing room and step out into the café again, only this time, I'm going to be the one serving people.

Now, the plan is to act completely normal until Hanako gets here. She usually comes around this time, so I only have to suffer for a couple of minutes.

Firstly, I walk over to the nearest vacant table with only a single man sitting down. He's young, probably only twenty years old, and he smiles happily as he sees me approach. Right now, I'm just a simple, cat masked maid to him, so I have to act normal if I don't want to raise suspicion.

Even if I have to act like a complete fool.

"H-Hello, Master." I mumble under my breath, trying my best not to chew into my mask with frustration. "How can I help you…?"

The man pauses and stares at me with a blank expression, as though waiting for something else.

For a second, I don't know what he's waiting patiently for, and then it hits me.

"M-Meow?" I finish.

The man finally starts smiling again and starts giving me his order, not knowing that I'm seething with absolute hatred for everything. I will get Info-chan back for this. She could have easily come up with another plan to dispose of Hanako, but she just _had_ to choose something like this, didn't she? I glance around as I write down the man's order to see if Hanako is around yet, she's nowhere in sight. I swear if this is a prank and Info-chan only did this to see me act like this, she will experience a whole new level of pain once I'm done with her.

However, my suspicions are thankfully not proven to be true, as the door to the café opens and a short, black-haired girl steps inside.

It's Hanako.

And behind her, it's Senpai. He's wearing the coolest black jacket in the world, and his messy hair is just shaped into absolute perfection. I slowly start to drool behind my cat mask, unable to resist his flawless beauty.

Thankfully, my absolute hatred for Hanako keeps me concentrated. There will be plenty of time to admire how great Senpai looks _after_ Hanako is dead on the ground. I have to make sure not to make Hanako suspect that anything is wrong. If so, she can easily just walk out the door to this café and make everything I've done so far utterly pointless. It took me half an hour to dress up like a fool, and I'm now pretending to be a cat maid, there's no way I will be satisfied if there isn't blood on my hands by the end of this day.

I approach the table and stare at them. The good thing is that they won't recognize me from my voice, neither of them have actually heard me talk properly. The bad thing is…I have to the maid that they expect.

"Good afternoon, Masters!" I say with embarrassment, wiggling my tail around. "Would you, meow, like anything?"

Senpai seems to be blushing, as though he's not comfortable being in this kind of café, it's adorable. He rubs the back of his head and looks at his sister first.

"Well, Hanako, what would you want?"

Hanako folds her arms and considers it.

"I'll have a black coffee. What about you, big brother?"

I cringe as I hear her talk to my precious Senpai. How dare she even look in his direction, no one should be allowed to look at him except me. I could just lean over this table and choke the life out of her right now.

"I guess I'll just have a milkshake."

I nod and wiggle my tail, just like how all the other maids are doing it.

"Okay then, meow, it's coming right up!"

"Wait," Hanako says as she stops me from walking away. For a moment, she stares right at my mask and I wonder if she's seen right through it. If she has, this entire plan has fallen apart. "Where's the restroom?"

I almost sigh in relief, she doesn't suspect anything yet, and my window of opportunity has finally revealed itself to me. I give her a quick and polite bow before holding my right hand out.

"Over here, follow me."

Hanako gives a quick look to Senpai before getting up and waiting for me to lead the way. I begin walking and start thinking, how will I do this now? How will I play my cards in this turn? She doesn't know that I'm not a real cat maid, so she'll follow me wherever I take her. I suppose the best place to dispose of her is in the changing room that I had put this costume on in. It's secluded and barely visible after closing the doors. It's a good place to quickly kill her and move out from the back door leading to the alley.

I feel the urge to twitch my head again, knowing that I'm about to stab Hanako with the knife I've hidden inside my skirt. I'm going to drive it slowly into her chest and watch her gradually bleed to death, and in her last moments, I'll do what I did when I killed Osana and tell her that I was planning to take Senpai all along. I watched Osana's eyes drain without hope, and I'm going to make sure I see the same thing for Hanako. She's been very clever, but not clever enough. After all, she's being lead into where I want her, just like what I did to Kokona.

But then, as we both step into the changing room and close the door behind us, I feel a sudden pain against the back of my head.

I growl and tumble back into the darkness of the changing room, almost tripping over the clothes scattered on the floor. I turn and see a fire extinguisher in Hanako's small hands, and she's got a serious expression on her face.

"You honestly thought I would believe your act? I've been at this café every day, and I've never seen any of the maids act like you. And seeing how you're so eager to get me into a dark place where no one else is, I think you're someone that wants to hurt me."

I rub the bruised part of my head and laugh sadistically behind my scratched cat mask.

"You're even more clever than I thought you were, Hanako Yamada. Too bad I have you in my grasp now, anyway."

"Please, I've done martial arts classes, you don't scare me." Hanako giggles confidently, clutching the fire extinguisher tightly in her arms. "I'm going to beat you up and then report you to the manager."

I lung forward and try to take away Hanako's extinguisher first, but she steps backwards and smacks my right hand with it. I hiss. That extinguisher is seriously heavy and it hurts a lot more than it should. I coil backwards and watch as Hanako tries to hit my head again, probably to quickly knock me out. If this was happening with Osana right now, she would have ran away screaming, but not this girl. Oh no, Hanako likes a good challenge, and that's exactly the kind of girl that dies the best.

I finally bring my hand forward and grab the handle of the extinguisher, tossing it aside to make sure she cannot hit me with it anymore. Hanako holds her hands out carefully, most likely to use her martial arts rubbish to stop me or something.

But as I slip my kitchen knife out of my skirt and hold it happily in my left hand, Hanako's expression immediately changes. She gets out of her battle stance and gasps, she was ready for a fight but she never imagined that someone would want to kill her. She waves her hands out frantically, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.

"W-W-W-Wait! You're not…actually going to _kill_ me…are you…?" She whimpers, but I've already begun moving forward towards her.

She's not ready to fight someone with a murderous intent. She dashes for the door, her hands moving over the door handles. I rush forward and grab her hand, pulling her back, you're not going anywhere.

She scrambles around in my grip, but both her arms and legs are skinny and barely have any strength to them. I hold her still with one hand and try to stab her with the other, desperately wanting to drive my knife inside her already. Eventually, she bites my hand and my grip instinctively loosens, allowing her enough time to slip out and run to the door again. I ignore the pain in my hand and don't bother to look at the bite marks. Instead, I thrust my knife forward, hoping it will at least stab her in the back, but it instead bounces against the rough surface of the door as Hanako ducks and avoids my weapon.

I ready myself to strike again but Hanako sticks her left leg out and kicks me in the face, causing my nose to bleed. I tumble down and trip over a box in the middle of the changing room. The knife falls out of my hand and my back hits the ground. I feel dizzy as I attempt to get back up, and I cannot see my knife anymore in the darkness of this unlit room.

But there's enough light to see that the doors to the changing rooms have opened again, and Hanako is gone.

I hear screams from outside and I realize that Hanako has escaped the room and has told everyone that there's a murderous maid trying to kill her.

Heavy footsteps follow and I hear them quickly get louder, they're all rushing over here to see where the killer maid is.

I can't allow that.

Oh god, maybe Senpai is on his way here too.

Oh no.

Oh dear lord, no.

I quickly force myself onto my feet and rush out of the other door leading to the alley. I exit the café and pant heavily as I tumble into the streets, still in my foolish cat costume.

I rip the cat mask off my face and growl. This could have been my last chance to kill Hanako, but she's slipped away like a slippery snake, and everyone is now looking for me.

I wince weakly as I walk through the dark alley, tears sliding down my face and blood dripping out of a fresh wound on my right arm.

I've failed.


	13. No 12: A Murderous Parent

Pain buzzes through my body and regret through my mind as I wander down the street to my house.

I stare up at the sky, it's getting dark now, must be around nine o'clock. I grimace as a wound on my leg soaks my sock with blood. I need to have that properly checked later.

My hair is a mess, I'm in my worn-out school uniform, and there are a lot of things going through my mind right now. I failed to kill Hanako. I failed to claim my target. This is a new feeling to me.

Even when I had mistaken Mei Mio as Osana, I was still able to have someone's death on my hands and I benefitted from their death anyway, but this time things are different. I've failed to kill someone and I have gained nothing, in fact, this might make things even more complicated. They might be able to trace this back to me, perhaps I left something that they can use as evidence against me. I'm tired but I try to rethink and recall everything that happened just a few hours ago. I had a cat mask on, so my face wasn't shown, and I left my knife there but it can be anyone's gloves, so they can't trace that back to me either. I ditched the cat costume a long time ago as well, making sure to dispose it in a garbage container, and since I burnt my fingers a while back, there are no fingerprints on it.

The only thing that might make it possibly for the authorities to have me as a suspect is Hanako.

She heard my voice. I was stupid and too caught up in the moment, so I started talking to her. I haven't talked to Hanako much before, we only ever exchanged a few sentences in karate class, but I'm still dreading the possibility that she knows her attacker was me. What if the first person she tells is Senpai? He was there at that café as well, wasn't he? Just the thought of him knowing about this sends a sickening feeling to my stomach. I have to look at the positives.

If Hanako hasn't realized that I was the attacker, then this is a rather diminutive defeat I've received. For one thing, I was still able to find out where Hanako goes after school. Secondly, she must now be afraid. Paranoid. After all, someone tried to kill her with a knife, that's not going to settle well for her mental status. She's going to be scared. Good. I can use that fear.

It's a weapon that can only be used on certain people, but once you have claimed it, you can get things done a whole lot quicker and easier. I will use that fear against her. I will make her so scared and afraid for her own life that she'll never leave home again. If I can't kill her, then this seems like a pretty good alternative. As long as this little incident doesn't come back to bite me, this could actually work out for the better.

Finally, I see the outer lines of my house, the windows emitting an orange light from within. I heave a sigh of relief after seeing it, home is the only place I want to be at right now. I walk over to the porch and gasp softly as the pain in my left foot returns, my sock is even more soaked now, and walking up the stairs to the door seems like a challenge in itself. I kneel down and grab my sock, pulling it upwards to cover the blood oozing out. I do not need Mother seeing this, I haven't had any time to come up with lies to cover the situation up.

I advance up the steps, a stinging pain reaching into my ankle repeatedly. I don't even remember when I had sustained this injury, but the amount of pain is ridiculous. As I'm finally at the last step, I pull myself up with my right foot instead and wobble over to the door, pressing twice on the doorbell. There aren't any sounds coming from inside, yet all of the lights are on. I wonder why everything is so quiet.

The door opens and I see my Mother's face again, she smiles and kisses me on the forehead as I walk inside and cautiously take off my shoes.

"Welcome home, Ayano. You're pretty late, you know?" She speaks in a sweet tone, but I fail to return her strange smile.

Instead, I simply push my shoes to the side and walk through the hallway to the set of stairs leading to my room. I need a bath.

"Ayano," Mother repeats again, this time her voice sounding firm and serious. I reach a halt. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why are you asking?"

"Because you're limping."

I curse under my breath, making sure it's quiet enough so that she doesn't hear it. I'm so tired I didn't even consider that she'd notice my limping. I turn around slowly and sigh, trying to put on the most casual expression that I can muster at this point.

"I tripped on my way here, it just stings a little." I finally answer, praying that the blood hidden by my sock doesn't suddenly decide to reveal itself.

"Oh dear, do you want me to take a look at it?"

"No, it will be fine."

Then I walk off, my pace slightly faster this time. I just want to get to my room.

"Ah, Ayano! I have some good news!" My Mother cheers now as I reach the first step of the stairs. I try my best not to growl in frustration.

"What is it?"

"Go into the living room."

Reluctantly, I turn to the right and wander into our living room, feeling the warmth of the active fireplace brush against my skin. The television is on a news channel and there's someone sitting on the sofa, I enter the room a little more and see who's sitting down.

It's Father.

He glances at me and a timid smile appears on his face, his black hair covering most of his shy blue eyes.

"Hello, sweetie. How was school?"

"It's alright."

I have no idea why he's back now when Mother has already been here for a couple of days. The only explanation I can think of is that they took different flights on their way here, but the reason behind something like that is also something I am unable to fathom right now. Instead, I walk over to him and kiss him quickly on the cheek, just like any normal daughter should do, and nod my head at him.

"Welcome back,"

"Thanks, sweetie, it's good to be back."

I stare at his timid and weak figure. He's skinny even in the thick sweatshirt he's wearing and he always looks like he's about to burst into tears. I've never been fond of how feeble he seems, but seeing him after all this time on his business trip, it only irritates me how he hasn't changed in the slightest. Mother has never seemed to notice it, or in any case, simply doesn't care. And, well, after living with him all my life I've only gotten used to his weak self. It's not surprising anymore.

I drop my gaze and head for the stairs again, limping my way to my bedroom and groaning as I enter and close the door behind me. Both Mother and Father are home now and I have to get used to their shenanigans once more, I'll miss the quality time of having this entire house to myself. For a moment, my imagination wanders off back to Senpai, and I picture a large house for just the two of us, living together, eating together, sitting on the couch together. I can't wait for those days to come, the days when Senpai will be mine and only mine. No orange-haired fool or purple-haired idiot or little sister to try and take him away from me. Just me and Senpai, living together in perfect harmony.

I lock my bedroom door and slip out of my school uniform, feeling a heavy weight being taken off my shoulders. I groan again but this one is less pained and more about the grogginess that is relentlessly attacking me. I walk to my bathroom is my underwear and turn on the showerhead, it'll take a few minutes for the water to heat up. I close the bathroom door and sigh, staring at myself in the blurry mirror. I look like I've just been brought back from the dead, I seriously hope that this shower makes me look at least slightly better. I glare at my reflection.

I've gotten taller, I think. I'm not sure, it definitely seems like I has, and I haven't even noticed it until now. A cold shiver slithers up my spine as I look at my reflection's eyes, recalling what Hanako had said during our sparring match.

 _Her eyes were glowing!_

Hanako's terrified voice is still fresh in my mind and it echoes slowly through my memories as I stare at myself in the mirror. I actually half-expected to see my reflection having glowing, demonic eyes but there are none. My eyes are simply black and dull, nothing interesting to them in the least. Perhaps Hanako was seeing things or just wanted the other students to be afraid of me. It's not even scientifically possibly for someone to have naturally glowing eyes. She most likely just wanted to paint me in a bad light for the public, though no one seems to have believed something as bewildering as that.

I place my hand under the water flowing down, it's still a little cold. I stare at myself in the mirror again.

I'm rather skinny now that I've bothered to take a good look at myself. I don't have any curves, which apparently is necessary for beautiful women, but my body figure isn't exactly not attractive. Kokona was curvy and I remember guys fawning over her non-stop back when she was alive. I wonder how that even works. Is it simply something you're born with.

I frown at my reflection.

Looking good has never really been much of a concern of mine, but for someone as incredible as Senpai, I want to at least look pretty for him. This is the first time I feel this way and I begin blushing, I'm actually worried about looking beautiful. You know, after I scare Hanako away or give her a painful death, I want to try doing all the things normal girls do. I want to try makeup, I want to work on my hair, I want to wear different kinds of pretty clothes.

But the thought of going on a romantic date with my flawless, handsome, adorable Senpai is washed away by the image of Hanako's irritating expression and the Journalist's gruff voice.

 _Don't repeat history._

That voice has been playing in my head over and over with no signs of shutting up anytime soon. It didn't faze me when he first said it, but now it's bothering me like hell. And as for Hanako, I want to kill her now more than ever. I know I should try to play it safe and try not to kill her if I don't need to, but having her slip through my hands like she did makes me want to tear out her throat and watch her slowly suffocate.

I wash my hair and my body, the faces of the Journalist and Hanako still flashing momentarily every now and then. Once I'm done, I cover myself in a towel and walk back into my bedroom, heading straight to my wardrobe to put something on.

I pass the Senpai Shrine and send it a kiss, my face beginning to blush once more.

As I open my wardrobe and decide to wear some indoor clothing, the phone rested on my bed begins to blare insufferably. For a second I consider just ignoring the phone call, but I eventually sigh and grab it with my free hand. It could be Info-chan.

I stare at the screen and see the 'Unknown' name displayed smugly. It's her. What a surprise.

"Hello," I grumble as I answer the call, placing it gently against my ear.

"Aishi-chan, what the hell happened in that café?! The word about Hanako getting attacking is spreading around the town like a virus!" Info-chan questions through the phone, her voice half worried and half annoyed.

I hesitate before answering her.

Someone could be listening to us right now, that's something I don't need. I'll have to cautiously watch what I say.

"I heard about it too, it must have been horrible." I mutter back. I sincerely hope she understands what I'm saying. I hope she realizes that we can't talk freely on a phone.

A pause.

"Yes, I know. What do think happened there?" She says back and I grin. She understood. As long as neither of us says anything that can be held against us, we're completely safe.

I try my best not to laugh.

For an irritating, smug, amiable person, she's very good at being deceptive.

"I don't know, but it sounds like Hanako Yamada got away safely."

"Do the police know who the attacker was?" Info-chan asks and I close my eyes. She's asking if I left any evidence for the police. There's a chance I did, but the chance for that seems little.

"Nope, and the attacker got away like a sneaky snake, leaving nothing behind."

I half expected a sigh of relief out of Info-chan, but she must have been carefully, because she gave a soft hum in agreement. As she begins speaking again, I pull up my towel a bit and stare at the wound on my left ankle, it's a fleshy hole right above the bone connecting my leg and foot. I trace my index finger over it and gasp as a stinging sensation bites relentlessly into me, it's horrible. This will definitely become troublesome if it doesn't heal quickly.

In fact, this looks like the kind of wound that a doctor should have a proper look at, but I can't afford a risk like that. Firstly, Mother and Father will ask where I got a wound like this in the first place, and they might be able to link up this injury to the incident at the café. Perhaps Hanako knows that her attacker has a wound like this, it's far too dangerous.

"-and Hanako has been taken into custody until they can find the attacker." I hear Info-chan mutter, and I realize that I haven't been properly listening to her conversation. I hold the phone with both hands and frown.

"She's in custody?"

"Yeah, they want to keep her safe, so we won't be seeing a lot of her for a while."

I end the call immediately and toss it aside, laughing my head off.

This is absolutely splendid, I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am right now. This incident has put Hanako in a position where she cannot do anything. I can finally get closer and closer to Senpai now and attend to the problem that is the Journalist. I do not know just how long Hanako will be at one of the police stations, but the longer the better. I need to take this opportunity now that it has presented itself.

And once Hanako finally comes back to school again, I shall be ready.

As for the Journalist, the first thing I need to do if figure out more about him. It becomes rather difficult to battle against someone who you don't even know anything about. Info-chan might not know much about him either, but she still gave me useful information. The Journalist was involved in the incident at Akademi High that occurred around thirty years ago. It's simple. If I find out more about what happened all those years ago, who the Journalist actually is will be presented to me without problems. There might not be many police records about that incident, but ordinary people must know about it, right? People who attended that school and are willing to talk about it, that's all I need.

"The incident that happened at Akademi High…" I whisper to myself, thoughtlessly. My mind wandering back to when the Journalist had mentioned it. "My ultimate weapon."

Instinctively, I glance behind myself and glare intently at the door, it's open.

Mother is standing within the opened door, and my heart skips an entire beat as a cold feeling crawls along my back, but she stares back with a jocund expression, as though she has heard nothing. She steps inside with her slovenly and disarrayed apron on display for me. It hasn't been cleaned in a long time. She gives me a kind smile and places her hands on her hips.

"Sweetie, could you come downstairs with me for a moment?" She asks cheerfully and I slowly nod back, following her downstairs.

That was incredibly close, she could have heard me speaking. That would cause a lot of confusion and Mother would have asked me to explain what that 'incident' is that I was talking about. They wouldn't know. Mother and Father told me they both went to a school together in America, the affairs of Akademi High wouldn't really be present in their library of knowledge.

Mother walks me down through the hallway again and into the kitchen. If this is about helping her with the chores again, she can forget it.

She motions me forward through the kitchen and to the window on the left. There's a small, flower-patterned curtain covering it like a thick blanket, why is she asking me to come to the window? It's rather strange.

Mother places her skinny, feeble hand over the curtain and pulls it away to reveal the window and what is outside.

It's dark outside but there is something illuminating the road, its light glimmering off the road's surface. It's a car. Just an ordinary car.

"It pulled up next to our house right after you came home, Ayano. I'm worried, is this person following you?"

I glare at the car and the tinted windows, it's difficult to make out the person inside, but I already exactly who it is. I've seen that car stalk me one too many times, it's no surprise to me that it's followed me even here.

It's the Journalist.

I release a quick sigh. This has made things difficult for me again, now Mother wants to know what's going on with this person next to our house, but I know that she cannot do anything about it. Still, I glance up at her and decide that I'm not in the mood to conjure up another lie. Avoiding this seems the best option right now.

"I have no idea, can't even see the person inside. It's too dark. Maybe they're just waiting for someone." I whisper, already motioning away from the window again.

But I'm stopped as Mother grabs my arm and tightens her grip on it, almost to the point where I can feel pain. I glare back at her silently. She glares back with an unreadable expression on her face, not one I think I've witnessed before.

"Ayano. That man is the Journalist, isn't he?"

I pause.

The world around me disappears, only Mother and I remaining in the abyss. I stare into her blank eyes and she stares directly back into my eyes, identical to hers.

She knows the Journalist? She knows who he is? Just how much does she know? There's no possible way that Mother could actually know something like this, did Info-chan come over and say something? Has Mother been watching me this whole time? What is going on?

"How do you…?" I begin to ask but trail off, my voice getting stuck within my throat.

"Listen, sweetie. You don't need to know what happened thirty years ago, it's over and finished." Mother interrupts before I can even attempt to finish my sentence. Her grip on my arm loosens.

She heard what I said in my bedroom.

"Mother, who _is_ that man?" I find myself saying without my own consent. The words from by themselves and Mother sighs.

"A man who has been a thorn in my side ever since what did all those years ago."

"You…were here? But you and Father were studying in America."

"That was a lie, Ayano. Your Father and I were right here, at the same school you attend."

The memories of what I know about that incident flashes through my mind uncontrollably.

The girl. Her murder. She killed other girls. She got away safely. The one that avoided the police. The one that shook the world. The one that never got caught.

I almost stumble over as the realization of the possibility finally hits me at full force.

Is Mother…that exact girl?

Before I can flood out all of the questions flowing through my mind like a tidal wave, Mother takes one more look at the car outside and steps out of the kitchen, heading straight for the living room.

"Darling, he's here. Get in the basement, now." She commands, grabbing the remote control and turning the television off.

I expect Father to protest or at least show some kind of reaction, but he displays nothing at all and nods obediently at my Mother, getting of the sofa and exiting the room. Mother hurries back to the kitchen with a dangerous and ominous look in her eyes, going for the drawers and grabbing a long, sharp knife.

I stare at the knife wielded by Mother. It's held firmly by her and it flashes in the light of the lamp of the kitchen table. My arms shake a little. For a moment, I started to imagine her leaping forward and attacking _me._ I gasp as she advances towards me but brushes past, my heart beating faster and faster. I glance down at my hands, they're sweating. I'm scared of her. I'm actually scared of her.

Mother approaches the front of the house, the large knife in hand, and I realize that she's going to try and deal with this right now. Without noticing it myself, I'm already next to her, tugging viciously on her sleeve. She can't go out like this. She can't just attack someone with a knife in public.

"Mother, stop! What are you-?!" I start to protest desperately on her sleeve. I don't fully understand what is happening right now and why Mother wants to attack the Journalist, but I can't let something like that happen.

But I stop halfway through as Mother tosses me aside like I'm as light as a feather, and in a few seconds I find myself sitting on the floor. I stare horrified as Mother opens the door slowly, casting a dark shadow to cascade over me like a blanket of hatred.

"What are you going to do?!" I scream now, it's the first time I've actually screamed at her. This isn't her. This isn't the sweet, calm woman I've been living with this whole time.

Mother pauses as she takes her first step out of the door. As her foot reaches the ground, she takes one glance back at me, an unearthly voice echoing throughout the hallway.

She stares at me for one singular second before leaving the door to kill her target, the Journalist.

And until the day I die, I shall never forget the face I saw. Even on my deathbed, that expression will flash in my inward eye, tormenting me to my last seconds. Hanako wasn't crazy nor was she making anything up. I have seen it for myself now, I've seen the monstrosity. I saw it for myself now, the supernatural phenomenon that I didn't believe existed. Hanako saw it in me and now I've seen it in Mother.

 **Those glowing, red eyes.**


	14. No 13: The Kidnapping

I scramble after Mother, jumping into the middle of the pavement outside our house, watching as she carries that sharp knife in her left hand.

There is absolutely no way I can let Mother do this, there will be witnesses for sure. There's no one outside at this time right now, but with the screams and sounds that Mother will make happen. This is far too reckless, and even though I could have sworn that Mother's eyes had been glowing, it's obvious that I have to be the one to stop her. I trip over the stairs on my way down, chasing Mother and trying to grab onto her arm, but I quickly regain my balance and rush up to her, hoping that I can convince her to go back inside.

The knife in Mother's hand flashes, reflecting the light from the street lamps still active, and glimmers ominously through the night. She crosses the road almost immediately, shifting through the darkness of the night like a shadow, and I watch helplessly as a figure slowly steps out of the car that Mother is advancing towards. Mother finally reaches a halt but doesn't show any signs of displacing her murderous intent. The figure that stepped out of the car doesn't seem intimidated, and as he took off a brown hat on his head and revealed his face, I knew for sure that it is the Journalist. His sharp, rough features shaded in the dark but his deep voice echoes clearly to us.

"Look how old you've become." Is the first thing the Journalist remarks to my Mother, his full appearance still mostly hidden by the night and the thick coat around himself.

Somehow, he seems to be completely composed and stoic, not even shaking like I am. Is he putting on a false front? Or is he actually not scared of the woman with the knife in her hand?

Mother continues to remain still. The way the knife is held in her hand shows that she's ready to lung forward and attack at any moment, but her face itself shows no expression. I watch silently as muscles pulsate and move around under Mother's skin, curling and bulging out, showing just how strong she is. I was never aware of that. She shoots a glare back at the Journalist, her grip tightening on the kitchen knife, and she completely ignores me standing behind her. Someone will pass by at any moment, we are all going to be arrested at this rate, but my curiosity of seeing these two people talk together like this keeps me from interfering for now.

"I gave you two chances to leave my husband and I alone, but you keep coming back for more? Well then, this time I'll be sure to get rid of you for good." Mother hisses back, hatred dripping from her tongue. It's not the kind of voice she has ever talked to me with, she's a completely different person right now.

I glance momentarily at my left hand, it is still shaking with fear. It's absolutely absurd. Why am I suddenly so afraid? Something like this shouldn't even faze me, but the ominous aura emitting from Mother is forcing this kind of fear out of me without any of my own consent. I cannot be afraid like this. I shouldn't be afraid.

But for whatever reason, perhaps the glowing eyes I am seeing Mother wield, I am terrified.

"I haven't just come for you," The Journalist mutters back, his attention turning towards me. "I have come for your entire kind."

"Is this because of the loss of your career? That's why you're still bothering me?" Mother grunts back with irritation, as though speaking to a child now.

"You took everything from me. My life, my work, my reputation."

"Oh, boo-hoo." Mother whispers back mockingly.

"And now, with the allies I have supporting my every move, I shall rid this world of your kind once and for all." The Journalist growls, ignoring Mother's mockery.

The knife in Mother's hand flashes again in the light, curling around playfully in Mother's grasp.

"Come on then, rid the world of me."

For a moment, I expect the Journalist to jump forward and fight my Mother. A clash between old enemies, that knife in Mother's hand to cut into some flesh. A small part of me actually wants to witness something like that happen, even though we would all be exposed because of something so foolish.

However, the Journalist doesn't attack. For the longest time, he simply stands there in the darkness, facing Mother, and saying absolutely nothing.

Too afraid to move, perhaps? Or was planning on a fight in the first place?

"I won't kill you now," The Journalist grumbles, taking a few cautious steps back. "My allies will take care of you soon enough."

But Mother refuses to let him retreat. With every step he takes backwards, Mother takes another daring step forward. The Journalist's right hand reaches behind him and gropes for the door handle of his car, his emotionless face finally showing signs of uncertainty and worry. It's clear now, he wasn't expecting Mother to come forward like this and ask for a fight, he must have originally planned to escape before we got close.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere. Let's have our little showdown right here and now."

"You're insane," The Journalist hisses back to Mother, still walking worriedly backwards, his deep voice cutting through the ominous atmosphere. "We're out in the streets, in public. You'll be exposed if you attack me."

"Better than letting you leave to annoy me again later, I've given you enough chances to leave me be. I'll just pretend like this was self-defence or I'll just twist the truth another way, you know I can. Either way, I'm not resting until your blood is on my knife."

I remain cautiously behind Mother. She…really thinks a lot like me.

She feels the frustration of letting a target walk away. She's always thinking ahead of her murders, knowing that even a murder on the spot can be covered so that you remain safe. I stare at Mother with a new light as she approaches the Journalist more and more. I no longer see an irritating, lovesick parent. I now see something I never thought I would ever see in Mother.

I see myself.

"D-Don't do this." The Journalist stutters anxiously, his hands now held defensively in front of himself. His words don't seem to reach Mother, but he attempts to convince her anyway.

My urge to stop this before they really start fighting is now gone. I know that someone might walk into these streets and witness this at any moment, but I don't care anymore. This man has been a pain in my back this whole time, and seeing Mother as a reflection of me now, I don't want to get in the way of her slaughter. I stand back and watch silently as Mother goes in for the kill.

Mother lungs forward, thrusting her knife at the Journalist in hopes of getting a clean cut through his stomach, but the Journalist steps backwards just in time. He growls as the knife flashes before him, his own hands are empty and he has absolutely nothing to fight with. He glances back at his brown car, parked just a few steps away, probably considering if he can run to it and drive away before Mother can strike again, but Mother gives him no time for that.

She slashes forward again, this time aiming for his head, and the Journalist falls over and loses his balance as he dodges it. He frantically tries to get back to his feet but Mother kicks him in the chin, throwing him onto his ground, and then she steps over him and holds her kitchen knife in both hands. She's going straight for the chest, and the Journalist pants weakly as he watches her swing the knife downwards

At the last moment, just as the edge of the knife reaches his shirt, he catches Mother's hands and grips them with his own, struggling to pull the knife out of her hands. What do I do? Do I help?

I can't just stand here and watch Mother fight this man, I have to step in as well.

Just before the Journalist can take Mother's knife, I rush over to him and swing my left foot backwards and smash it right into his face, causing him to coil backwards and howl in agony. He finally gets to his feet again and stares at both Mother and I, his eyes full of anger but fear at the same time. He wasn't confident about his chances of fighting Mother, but he knows for certainty that he cannot hope to hurt the both of us together. Mother glances at her knife, still present in her hands, and then looks back at me with a grateful expression.

"Thank you, dearie. That was very brave of you." She says to me and I try my best to hide my roll of the eyes back at her, I've gone through a hell of a lot worse than kicking someone in the face.

"You fools, my allies…will not stand for this." The Journalist growls back at the both of us before I can respond to Mother. He is holding his nose and I see dark blood oozing out of his nostrils.

Not going to lie, that must really hurt.

"So, you've got dangerous friends, have you? Good. Killing you will send a good example to them and show them that we are not people to be messed with."

When hearing those words, the Journalist throws away any sense of pride he has and lunges for the door to his car. Both Mother and I are startled, not expecting him to just run away like that, and I react first by running towards the car as well. He can't just be a coward and run away, this fight isn't over yet.

I reach the car door first but the Journalist grabs me by my left arm and chucks me aside, and before I know it I'm on my back, feeling the cold ground beneath me. I didn't know he's this strong. I jump to my feet and grab his arms as he tries to open the door, but he attempts to shake me off. Feeling my grip on him loosen, I decide that the desperate times call for desperate measures. I open my mouth and bite onto the hand he is trying to open his car with, squeezing my teeth and sinking them into his fingers, hearing him shriek and cry out in pain. I've never had the taste of human flesh in my mouth, but I can say with certainty now that I do not enjoy the sensation, but I don't loosen my bite on him to keep him from escaping.

While I'm biting on his hand, Mother comes from behind and digs her knife deep into his shoulder, causing him to scream out even more and kick me in the gut, and I collapse to the ground and have trouble breathing.

The gut.

Why is it always the gut? Why does everyone always hit me in the one place that hurts like hell?

Now, only needing to deal with Mother while I'm gasping on the ground, the Journalist forces the knife out of his shoulder blade and shoves Mother away with whatever strength he has left. He now has the knife in his hands, but seeing it covered with his own blood, he knows that fighting any further will end terribly for him. He glances at Mother and I for a few seconds before finally opening the car door and leaping inside.

Everything is a daze but the sounds of car tires screeching echo throughout the street and I watch from the ground as that damned brown car drives off with the Journalist inside. We let him escape. He got away and we failed.

Mother is motionless and she doesn't help me up. She's facing the other way, staring down the road that the Journalist had escaped by, and I realize that I'm going to have to lift myself up. I groan as I get to my feet, every part of my body is sore and I have a terrible pain in my hand. I wipe my left hand over my forehead, just wanting to wipe away any sweat on it but my eyes widen as I see blood on my hand instead. My head is bleeding.

Suddenly, all the adrenaline that has collected up in my body is drained out and I feel myself drop to my knees. I press my hand against my forehead to check again, and as I suspected, there's more blood coming out. Bleeding from your head cannot be good can it? Maybe I should…tell Mother…or…

The world around me gradually fades and I feel my eyes getting heavy, in my last seconds I groan and reach out a hand to Mother before finally collapsing on the ground and losing my consciousness.

The pavement around me becomes stained with my blood as I faint.

Waking up from something like that is terrifying and shakes you, and that's exactly what happened to me.

I leap upwards from a lying position and glance at my surroundings. I'm in bed, in my bedroom.

There's a thick bandage wrapped around my head, and as I trace my fingers across it, I realize it's still wet from my blood. Mother is standing by my bed, her arms folded and an unreadable expression on her face. I wait for her to say something but she remains silent. I suppose I'm going to have to be the one to talk first, huh?

"My head hurts." Is the only thing I can think of to say to her. Everything still feels like it's spinning around me uncontrollably, and I have a terrible case of nausea.

"A wound opened on the right side of your head, but it wasn't deep, you'll be fine." Mother responds quietly, not showing signs of worry like I would expect her to be doing.

She used to be a clingy kind of parent, worrying sick about their child all the time, but she's no longer doing that now. It seems like it was all an act, being that kind of person. That incident with the Journalist last night might have ended in defeat, but now I'm finally starting to see what person Mother truly is. I'm uncertain whether or not I'm ready to learn this yet, but the curiosity I'm feeling is forcing me to push forward regardless.

"You and that man are old enemies, aren't you?" I whisper, gradually sliding out of my sheets and standing on my feet, the pain in my injured foot seeping back into me with an unpleasant sensation.

"Yes," Mother answers back without hesitation. "It's been going on since the incident that occurred at your school many years ago."

"…you're the girl that was accused of murder…aren't you?" I frown as I look at her, trying to find even the smallest sign of a reaction on her face. There isn't one.

"I am. I was accused of killing another female classmate."

"Did you? Did you kill her?"

Finally, Mother shows an expression.

The problem is it's the exact kind of expression I didn't expect to see on her face as a response to my question.

"Oh, I wouldn't use the word 'kill'. I just…disposed of her." She mutters back with a large grin, her eyes staring directly into mine. "You've been following the same line of work yourself, haven't you?"

"How do you know?"

"There's no other reason the Journalist would be after you otherwise."

Interesting.

Mother calls that man 'the Journalist' as well. Does it mean she doesn't know his name or she just prefers to call him that? Either way, it doesn't seem like she's willing to tell me his real name even if she knows it herself. More work for Info-chan then.

"He told me he wants to kill our 'kind'. What did he mean by that?"

"People like us that are in love with someone and are willing to do anything to get to them. That is what he means by our kind."

"There are people like me out there?"

Another smile appeared on Mother's face, this one seeming a lot more calm and light-hearted, as though she's teaching a child about the ways of the world itself. She scratches the back of her head and shrugs.

"Sure, why not? There's people every day that are helplessly in love with someone, the only difference between us is the methods we use to get to our lover."

I pause. That reminds me, Mother is the girl from the incident. I need answers from that. Info-chan said it herself, that case could be exactly what I need to get rid of the Journalist once and for all. And knowing that Mother understands me and my feelings, at least to a certain extent, makes it a lot easier to talk to her about it.

And on top of that, she's the heart of that incident, she's the very centre of it, so she must know all about what happened.

"What was that incident about, anyway? Was it just about the murder of one student?" I gather up my courage and ask Mother, and once again she decides to answer me casually.

"Of course not. Why would the authorities act so antsy and cowardly about one incident if it was just about one murder? It's infamous because it brought the police down to their knees."

"How so?"

Mother grins.

"The incident is officially referred to as 'The Youth Nightmare'." Mother explains with her eyes closed, probably enjoying thinking back to her past. "One day, a schoolgirl was found dead in Akademi High's bathrooms, and the police only had one suspect."

"You," I whisper slowly, lingering onto every word that comes out of Mother's mouth.

"Yes, I had dropped my guard and the police had accused me of the murder. They took me straight to court and tried to label me as the murderer of that young girl. The problem was, they didn't have enough evidence to win that court case."

"Where did the Journalist come into this?"

"He came after that. After the police had been shamed for trying to arrest a young girl like me with no evidence, they had one last attempt to accuse me of the murder. They secretly brought in the Journalist to collect evidence against me."

"Was he able to?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He's a fool but he's very good at his job. He actually used to be a detective before I took that title away from him. He followed me around secretly from the shadows and eventually gathered up enough evidence to file another court case against me."

Mother pauses her storytelling for a moment and wanders slowly over to my bedroom's windows, staring out of it blankly. She takes in a deep breath and her smile fades, no longer seeming confident in front of me.

"It was close," She continues quietly, not looking at me. "They almost found me guilty, they had nearly defeated me…but…"

"But?" I repeat back anxiously.

"But the people were on my side. They could never believe that an ordinary schoolgirl could ever be capable of murder, and with the fake, innocent act I was putting on, they desperately wanted to set me free and find me not guilty."

"The _people_ helped you?"

"Yes. In front of everyone I was crying my eyes out, saying how I was innocent and that the police want to take my entire lift away from me. The country itself shed a tear at my act, and eventually I was found innocent."

"And that brought the police to their knees?"

"Exactly." Mother sighs, looking back at me again. "They had accused a young schoolgirl of cold-blooded murder and were shamed by everyone. They had never been so weakened. Because of their failure, to this day, they're still afraid of investigating murders at schools, and the Journalist lost everything."

"So, it's revenge that the Journalist wants." I whisper to myself, my own arms folded now.

"He never got over The Youth Nightmare. It still eats away at him and he's sworn to kill me no matter what. And if what he said about having powerful friends is true…"

"He'll be a formidable foe?" I finish for Mother, thinking I've finally gotten into her head, but she returns a cheeky smile and shakes her head.

"No, he'll be a pain in the ass."

This is the point where a normal family would laugh happily together or just have a silly chuckle, but Mother and I aren't like that and she simply nods her head at me and leaves my bedroom.

I don't mind. We're just not like that. We are similar in many ways, but we don't feel that kind of affection towards each other, we're just a family because that's how things turned out. Still, it's good to know that we are the same inside, and that we've both done similar things for our lover. I wonder just how many people she has killed? It would be interesting to know.

I glare back at the clock resting next to the Senpai Shrine, it's nearly time for school. I should get changed and leave soon.

But even walking my way to the wardrobe is a challenge right now. The injury that I received while fighting Hanako hasn't gotten any better, and now with the injury on my head, I have never felt weaker. Mother carried me all the way to my bedroom while I was unconscious and attended to that wound, but did she see the one on my left foot? I pull up my sock and look at it, it doesn't look like it has healed all that much, and from the pain I'm feeling I can also guess that it isn't getting better anytime soon.

Great, now I've got a cut on my forehead and a hole in my ankle, isn't this just wonderful. Just in the perfect condition to kill Hanako once and for all.

I sigh.

For now, I suppose I should just go to school and check up on the situation. Some things may have changed since Hanako got attacked, maybe she won't show up. If that's the case, then I can finally spend time with my beloved Senpai again. Taking photos, admiring him from afar, watching him sweat during Exercise Practice…I'll be in heaven once more.

I throw on my school uniform, tie my hair up, look at the wound in my left ankle one last time, and finally head off to school. I decide to take a taxi again, ignoring the small talk that the driver attempts to give me, and stop at around the area near my school. Stopping a block away from the school might seem a little strange, but with everything going on, I need to clear my mind and a walk is exactly what I can use for that.

I step out the taxi and begin to walk. The weather has started to get colder and colder as we're almost at December. It'll be Christmas soon, won't it? Hopefully I'll be able to get special pictures of Senpai dressed up as something, now _that_ would be the perfect Christmas gift.

I stare at the road beside the pavement I'm walking on, there are absolutely no cars passing by. Peculiar. This early in the morning people should be rushing to school or work, but there are no cars to see at all. And now that I notice it, there aren't many houses around me either, just wooden fences and broken down huts. This…isn't the place I asked the taxi driver to take me, this isn't a street I recognize. Did he take a wrong turn? I can't even see the school in the distance.

Where am I?

A sharp howl pierces through the air. A dog. Nothing to be worried about.

But it still startles me.

I begin walking faster, gradually picking up my pace. Wherever I've been dropped off by the taxi, it must be further away from Akademi High than I thought. I should keep moving. This area isn't emitting a good atmosphere towards me.

The barks of savage dogs echo around me but I keep moving normally, the pain in my left ankle still here to drive me insane. Whatever neighbourhood I've fallen into, getting out of here is my top priority now. I pull out my phone and stare at the screen, I have no signal to call anyone. Great, the one time I would actually call Info-chan and my phone can't receive any signal. My feet splash in the damp puddles that have accumulated along the pavement like landmines, causing my socks to go moist and my left ankle's injury to sting even more, but I insist on moving faster.

A stick snaps.

A figure moves in the background.

Another howl. Another bark.

This isn't right. I did not expect this. I've studied maps over and over again to find different routes to Senpai's house, but this street is completely new to me. I am not ready for this, this is a miscalculation, and miscalculations are unacceptable. I have to leave this place and gain a clear understanding of where I am.

Around me I finally see a few people. Homeless people from the looks of it. Disarrayed clothing, torn shoes, dark and dirty faces and hands. They glare at me with hungry eyes, for once I'm sticking out in the crowd, and I am not enjoying it in the slightest.

I avoid eye contact and keep moving, eventually reaching a wall of fences at the end of the pavement and a bridge looming over me. Who places a fence over the area leading to the next street? Do people just bypass this place with the bridge above? It doesn't make any sense, and I don't see an entrance for reaching that bridge, it bypasses completely over this street with no way to enter it from here. The best course of action now is to trace my steps backwards and find the other end of this street, that should solve this.

For some reason, I really wish I had my kitchen knife right now.

I hear more steps circulating around me ominously, but I cannot see anyone close to me. It doesn't intimidate me. I move at a normal pace now. There's nothing to worry about, this is just a street representing the suburbs, there is nothing to worry about at all.

Shadows continue to stare at me from a distance, their eyes glued to me, but I walk fast enough to leave their line of sight as soon as possible. Just keep moving. Don't stay in one place. Keep moving and don't stop. I don't need any trouble.

A man walks out of one corner and advances towards me, I glare at him, ready to fight, but he looks like an old man and he doesn't attack me. He simply raises his top hat, revealing a wrinkled and tired face with bright blue eyes, he smiles crooked teeth at me and holds out his hand.

"Excuse me, do you have a lighter?"

I remain silent for a moment. He has a limp and he's wearing a normal sweatshirt, he must be in his sixties. He's no threat to me at all.

"No, I don't." I eventually respond to him. Why would he think that a schoolgirl would have a lighter? Is that just how bad this neighbourhood is?

I walk off, stepping around him, and keep moving, but his gruff voice echoes behind me.

"Ah, wait young lady…" He trails off, his voice weak and pathetic, I keep walking. Some old man isn't going to slow me down.

"You dropped your cat mask." He finishes and I freeze in my position, my heart suddenly stopping.

An image of the café flashes inside my mind, going back to when I wore a cat mask and tried to attack Hanako. I wore that mask to hide my identity and then tried to kill her inside the changing room. How does that man know about that? I turn around, half expecting the cat mask I used on that day to be on the ground, but of course it isn't. I disposed of it that night.

The old man grins at my surprised expression. I haven't dropped anything, he's just telling me that he knows, and as a knowing smile spreads slowly across his face I realize that he is in fact trouble. He knows that I was the one wearing the cat mask that night.

"What? You really thought you could just get away with something so ballsy as attacking someone in public? We watched you, Ayano Aishi. We have been watching for a long time now." He speaks again, this time in a much different voice. It's deep and threatening, but what can an old man do to me in the middle of an alleyway?

"You can't lay a finger on me, whoever you are." I hiss back at him, taking a few steps away. If he's one of the powerful friends that the Journalist had talked about, then I should leave as soon as possible.

"I'm not going to lay a finger on you, he is." The old man chuckles as he looks pass me.

And that's the moment I realize someone has been standing behind me.

I try to turn around and see who it is but large arms grip tightly onto my neck before I can do so. I gasp and cough, desperately searching for air, but a tissue covers itself over my mouth. With everything I've got, I try to bite into the tissue to rip it apart and let me breathe, but a familiar smell enters my lungs.

It's chloroform.

No, I cannot go unconscious in the hands of my enemies.

I'll get out of this man's grip, I'll tear him to pieces.

I'll…

I will…

* * *

Ayano Aishi then collapsed and went unconscious. The man that had subdued her stood back and gave way to the old man, looking pleased with himself.

The old man grinned at the unconscious Aishi and pulled out a cigarette, puffing on it a few times as he watched his sleek, black limousine pull over on the side, with several of his assistances stepping out and standing beside the old man, awaiting their next commands.

"Sir?" One of the men in a black tuxedo asked of the old man, his arms respectfully behind his side.

The assistances were circled around Aishi's body, standing there and waiting for the commands of their boss.

And eventually, the old man finished his cigarette, tossed it aside, and waved his hand dismissively at his men.

" **Put her in the trunk."**


	15. No 14: Who I Truly Am

Metal clashes against metal.

I groan. Everything hurts.

The cold floor beneath me freezes my body to the brink of passing out again, but I cannot let go of my consciousness now that I have finally regained it.

I'm lying down on the floor, my head bleeding out of the wound that the Journalist had given me early. Mother patched up that wound, but it must have reopened somehow. I glance at the floor under me as I push myself feebly to my feet. There are only a few drops of my blood, and it looks dried up, so the wound must not be bleeding anymore. Good.

Now, it's time to understand where I am.

The sounds of the clashing of metal echoes throughout the area again, I must be in a factory. I try to look around. My eyesight is still blurred, I can barely see anything. It takes a few blinking and adjusting before I can properly see where I am now.

A small room. That's where I am.

Bars at one end of the room, a small bed at the other. I'm locked in a cell, there's a bowl in the top left corner of the cell for food, but it's empty. This makes no sense. How did I get here?

Oh, that's right. I was kidnapped.

The memories of how I got here start flooding back. I was supposed to go to school after recovering from my fight with the Journalist, but I had gotten kidnapped by someone in the middle of a road I didn't recognize.

A lot of things have happened to me so far, but being kidnapped is most definitely a first. I sigh. There's no need to panic right now, even in this kind of situation. Keeping my cool and remaining calm is essential right now.

I walk over carefully to the bars of my cell, feeling an excruciating pain in my left ankle, and then I remember something else. My foot injury from my encounter with Hanako at the café, it seems like the pain has become worse. That is not a good sign.

Through the bars, I observe what is outside.

It's exactly what I assumed it would be. We're in a factory.

Chunks of metal being moved across conveyer belts, man and woman rushing from left to right, eager to have everything done in a perfect and flawless order. This factory is massive and they're all so far away that I immediately know that my voice won't reach them even if I tried.

But perhaps I don't even _want_ them to hear me. It could be that they have orders to kill me the moment I'm awake.

Though that wouldn't make much sense, why keep me in a cell when they just want to kill me? You would think they had have done the job by now, perhaps they don't want to kill me at all.

Either way, I do not really appreciate being kidnapped. I'm finding a way out of this cell before I found out why I've been brought here.

I glare back at the bed at the other end of the room. Its mattress is composed of soft wool, the structure holding it up is made of wood, and it looks like it hasn't been used in years. The floor will always be a better option to that sad excuse of a bed. Still, there might be something around here to get me out.

The barred door to my cell is closed by a small lock, drastically different from the ordinary ones you see every day. Now, killing I can do, but opening locks? I have no experience for something of that nature. It looks like the normal fashion of getting out isn't going to work. However, the lock seems rather old and corroded, it has become brittle with age. Perhaps…perhaps enough force can cause it to snap.

Yeah, breaking that lock looks like the only solution at this point. Let's see just how much force that lock needs to break down.

I stare back at the people outside my cell, working frantically in the distance. I really don't need them to hear me, and they haven't looked this way, so I'm guessing they don't know I've woken up yet. Even if they're not the people that put me in this cell, their attention is unneeded.

Fortunately, they are incredibly far from here. Hopefully, they won't hear a thing. I look back at the brown lock holding my cell door closed. This will be a pain.

I raise my left foot and prepare to kick the lock, then remember that there's a hole in the ankle of that foot. Why do I keep forgetting? I need to let it rest for now, my right foot will have to suffice.

But balancing on my left foot to kick with my right foot hurts like hell by itself. I grit my teeth and try to suck it in. This lock isn't going to kick itself.

I swing my right foot forward, smashing it into the lock, and the sound of metal clanging echoes all around, and for a moment I wonder if anyone heard it. Holding my breath and remaining still for a few moments, I wait for someone to look in my direction and notice me in this cell.

No one does. The factory itself is so loud that any of the sounds that I make myself are completely drained out by the other sounds going around. I grin and kick the lock again, staring at the small dent that the lock is beginning to show. It may take a while, but this lock won't last much longer.

But I stop as I hear footsteps coming from the other side, they echo and I believe I hear multiple kinds of them. A lot of people are coming this way.

That causes a question to arise in my mind. Should I pretend to be unconscious when they look through the bars of my cell? Or should I stare them dead in the eyes?

My answer comes naturally to me. I'll die before I act like a coward in front of the people who brought me here by force.

"She's awake," I hear a deep voice whisper to someone else as several men in tuxedos stand in front of my cell, looking at me like an animal in a cage. They're all wearing sunglasses, and I cannot think of another reason for that except that they wanted to look cool.

"We should inform the boss." Another man mutters as emotionlessly as a robot.

I say nothing back to them as they stare silently at me, I simply give them the same treatment back. There's almost nothing more fun than staring your enemies down, playing on their fear. I cannot see their eyes behind their sunglasses, but I know that they're afraid of me. At least partially.

It's only a few moments before someone else approaches my cell, the old man that I had met when I had been kidnapped. If anyone hear is the 'boss', it's this man. His wrinkles move across his face as he smiles happily at me, a bowler hat on his head and diamond rings on his fingers.

"Ayano Aishi, student at Akademi High. We apologize if we may have frightened you."

"No worries, you didn't." I retort back, my arms folded. He chuckles. It seems like almost everything I do entertains him to a certain extent.

"You really are something…" He laughs mockingly at me before looking at the men behind him, waving at them dismissively. "You lot can go, I wish to speak to Ms. Aishi alone."

The men in the tuxedos stare at their boss with uncertainty, unsure if they should leave an old man alone with me, but as they realize I cannot do anything from my cell, they eventually leave one-by-one.

The old man watches his men leave before looking back at me again. His eyes are filled with wonder, I can tell without effort. He has been waiting to look at me properly for a while, it is rather irritating. For a second, I start to wonder if I can punch him through the gaps of the bars of my cell door. That would be great.

"Do you know where you are, Ms. Aishi?"

"No idea,"

"Good, let's try to keep it that way."

"So why have you kidnapped me? Is it money you want?"

"You seem quite calm for someone that has been kidnapped."

"Not really, I've been expecting people like you. You guys must be the powerful friends that the Journalist told me he has."

The old man grins at me more, his creepy smile now fully across his entire face. He readjusts his black, bowler hat and shakes his head amusingly at me, his voice sounding playful.

"That is both correct and incorrect. We _are_ allies with the man you call the 'Journalist', but we have captured you for a different reason."

"And what reason is that?"

"You'll know soon enough." The old man replies annoyingly, reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a cigarette, puffing on it a few times before blowing some of it unpleasantly in my face.

"You're not going to tell me now?"

"Oh no, where would the fun in that be? All I am allowed to say now is that a special visitor will come for you soon, and then we can tell you why you're here."

"Allowed? Someone is giving you orders? I thought you were the boss here."

"My lips are sealed."

Then the old man begins to walk away, but I grip onto the bars of my cell and stare at him, my eyes looking directly into his.

"There's a bowl of food here, but no food. I'm not a useful prisoner to you if I'm dead, right?"

The old man stares back at me for a few moments, and I'm certain I've convinced him to give me something to eat, but instead he decides to do something else. He grabs another cigarette from his pack and chucks it on the ground in front of me, knowing I can't eat that.

"Enjoy," He chuckles, smoking on his own cigarette and moving away, his grin beginning to irritate me. "And here,"

Before leaving my vision of sight, he chucks a small, red lighter to land beside the cigarette he gave me.

He knows that smoking a cigarette isn't food, he is only doing this to get on my nerves even more, and when he walks away and leaves my sight, I growl.

I've been kidnapped and brought to a factory I don't know, the people here aren't telling me why they're keeping me here, I have no idea what they're going to do to me, and I only have a cigarette and a lighter for 'food'.

Wait…a lighter?

I stare down at the ground and look at what the old man had given to me as a complete joke. There's a small lighter right next to the cigarette. Interesting. Perhaps I can use that, and not in the way that the old man thought I would.

Kneeling down, I grab the lighter and press down the button at the top, watching a small flame burn up and dance around. It's not much fire, nothing I can use as a weapon, but a lighter is definitely better than nothing.

I glance at the brown, rusted lock I had been kicking just before. Perhaps I can weaken it enough so that it will only take a few more kicks to break it. This is a long shot, but maybe a bit of heat can do just that.

The lock doesn't look durable at all. This might just work. I hold out the active lighter and hold it under the lock, watching as the small flame meets the surface of its target. The bottom portion of the lock begins to go red, letting me know that it is heating up. This is a hell of a lot more complicated than just picking the lock, but I don't know how to do that, so this is my only shot right now.

I'm not waiting around to see who this 'special visitor' of mine is. Whoever it is, they can only be bad news. This lock is going to break, one way or another.

For a few seconds I take the lighter away from the lock and place my index finger on the lock to see just how much it has heated. It's just barely warm, we're getting nowhere at this rate, it's going to take forever. I stand up and ready my right foot again, maybe all I need is a couple more kicks.

My bash my foot into the lock over and over, clanging noises booming around my cell, but the dent I had made earlier on the lock doesn't look any bigger. It seems like I'll just have to keep kicking and heating this lock until it can finally take no more.

My stomach rumbles, it seems that I am hungry. How unfortunate that I have no food right now, I could really use something to give me some strength.

Instinctively, I glance down at the cigarette left for me.

And, embarrassingly enough, I actually consider using it. It's not food, but it could make me feel better, maybe clear my head.

In the end, however, I decide against it. If I smoke now, I'm only losing more time I'll spend with Senpai when we're together, I want every second of my life so I can spend it on him.

Eventually, my foot gets tired again and my eyes feel heavy. How long has it been since I've been stuck here? A few hours could have already passed by now, or it could have only been ten or twenty minutes. Either way, I can barely stand on my own feet. I'm tired and this lock to my cell doesn't seem like it wants to give up anytime soon. I would hate to stay here even a second longer than I need to, but rest is essential to regain some of my strength back.

I look back at the broken down and stained bed at the corner of my cell.

No, not in a million years.

I lie down carefully on the cold floor beneath me, my ripped school uniform not doing well in terms of keeping me warm, and the green-coloured blanket wasn't too appealing. For now, as long as I can rest, that's what is important. Being comfortable isn't nearly as important to worry about.

I close my eyes and try to rest myself.

The constant screeches and shrieks of metal being moulded into different shapes make it difficult to properly drift into a deep sleep, but being as tired as I am, I still manage to do it somehow.

Another day, another person to try and kill.

* * *

My awakening is not pleasant in the least.

The men in tuxedos enter my cell for the first time and grab me by the arms and legs, lifting me off the ground and waking me up.

I groan and try to struggle, but their grip on me is firm and not something I'm able to break. Soon enough, they drag me out of the cell I've been stuck in and place a white cloth over my mouth, just in case I try to scream. I wasn't planning on doing that, but they don't seem to realize that.

They carry me from corridor to corridor, but with the constant slips between being conscious and unconscious, it becomes rather difficult to tell where I'm going and what path I'm being taken by. I pass by multiple offices and empty hallways, strange characteristics for a factory, until finally we reach a hallway with lights blaring from above.

The men in tuxedos drag me through this final hallway, the cloth being held firmly on my mouth, and they pull me into a room at the very end. The sheer strength of the grown men being too much for me to resist against. Not that I tried, there's barely any strength left in my body at all, and the wound in my left ankle and skull aren't exactly helping that. An injury from the Journalist and another from Hanako, they're both keeping me from fighting against these men. I'll be sure to hurt them both later as a kind sign of my appreciation. As the lights finally decrease their intensity, I blink a few times and look at what is inside the room the men have thrown me into. Whatever it is, it cannot be another cell, right?

No, this room is very different.

There's a chair in the middle of a room surrounded by glass. Curved glass. That's quite impressive all by itself.

There are scientists behind the curved wall of glass surrounding the chair in the middle. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looks like I'm a gerbil in a glass ball…surrounded by men and women in lab coats.

The security men tighten their grip on my arms and legs and chuck me into the chair, locks on the chair securing their own grip onto my body. This chair seems to be a high tech version of what I'm used to, and probably specializes in holding people in place. This is starting to slowly look like a torture room, which is just wonderful.

That was sarcasm. That would not be wonderful.

The men in tuxedos leave swiftly but do not close the door behind them, and I'm left trapped in this mechanical chair. I struggle around weakly in it, nothing happens. This chair is completely made of metal, I'm not getting out of it even if I was at my best condition.

I move my head around slowly, staring at the people hiding behind the glass surrounding me. They are all staring right back, as though observing a new species of an animal. It pisses me off. For a moment, I try to think of something to hiss at them, but nothing comes to mind. If they're going to experiment on me, then getting out of this chair or talking them out of this is my only option. But if this is more of an interrogation room, then I really don't have anything to worry about.

The open door to this room reveals someone else walking into it. Along with the old man that was the boss of the security that dragged me here, there's a young girl walking beside him. She has long white hair, looks slightly like me, but our faces are extremely different. There is confident written all over her face, her eyes sharp and smug, and even the way she walks emits her immense ego. It disgusts me.

Hush falls over the talking scientists as she approaches the chair holding me in place, her piercing eyes scanning the entire room before looking at the old man next to her.

"So, I presume this is where we will begin?" She speaks with a voice demanding authority, her voice is quiet yet, somehow, it reaches to the very corners of the room.

"Yes, ma'am." The old man responds, no longer sounding like the confident and brave man that he had pretended to be in front of me. He's just another slave in this girl's hand, whoever she is she has a certain influence over them all.

The girl nods and then stares at me, her blue eyes looking directly at me without flinching in the slightest. There's an incredible urge to look away from her, but I find myself staring right back, most likely to not show any weakness.

"So, it's you, Yandere-chan. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

I glare at her pleased grin and my eyes widen.

There's only one person so far that has called me that. Only one girl has ever named me 'Yandere-chan' before, and I remember exactly who this pretty, rich girl is now.

It's the girl from the screen, that laptop screen that threatened to destroy me without fail. I thought it was nothing but an empty threat, but that girl…was in charge of this mafia-like group all this time?

Well, that complicates things.

"You're the girl from that computer." I mutter back to her, secretly moving my wrists around to slip out of my restraints, if I cannot break metal, perhaps I can still slide out of it.

"Oh, I'm so glad you remembered." The girl giggled back at me, snapping her fingers to summon a man in a tuxedo to gently take her coat off her. She's so rich that she has people to take off her coat? That's ridiculous. "I've been waiting for this day for quite some time, Yandere-chan."

"That's why you brought me to this room?" I respond, looking around the room again. There are plenty of buttons rested beside every scientist standing behind the glass around me. I don't wish to know what any of those buttons do. "You're going to experiment on me or something?"

"Experiment on you? No. You see, I've been hearing about more and more activity about you. First, the attacker at the café, I'm pretty sure that was you. Secondly, attacking one of my best men, the Journalist. And finally, continuing to disrupt things at my school."

"Your school?"

"Yes, Akademi High belongs to me. My father was the one that kept the Principal listening to him, and now that my father has passed away, I am the one in control. And having your kind around my school is bothersome."

"You keep saying that. What exactly do you mean by 'my kind'?"

"Yanderes. My father warned them about me when I was just a little girl. He said that one female Yandere that broken down all order at Akademi High. He told me that if another one shows up, I have to take care of them immediately."

"And what _is_ a Yandere?"

The girl seems annoyed that I asked that question, raising an eyebrow at me as though I'm supposed to know. Eventually, she heaves a heavy sigh and grins at me confidently again, amusement written all over her expression for me to see.

"Crazed serial killers that have a perverted obsession with someone. That's you, Yandere-chan. You're messed up in the head. You're something that just isn't normal. That's why you need to be eliminated as quickly as possible."

I find myself growling quietly.

An insane serial killer? Something wrong with me? I'm not normal?

Who is she to judge what I am?

It is true that I have an obsession with Senpai, but it is a healthy obsession. I love him. I love him more than anything else in this world. And it's because of that love that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with him. If a couple of girls have to die every now and then to ensure that, then so be it.

Sacrifices have to be made for love, right? So what I've been doing this completely normal, there's no doubt about that.

"Why not just kill me when you captured me in the streets? Why bring me all the way here?"

That's when the girl's smile begins to grow. It grows and grows until it cannot stretch anymore, and when she leans in close, I find my own heart beginning to race.

"That's because I love Taro Yamada as well, Yandere-chan."

"Wha-?"

"I've been interested in him for quite some time. He's rather plain and simple, but that's exactly the kind of guy I look for. And having you in the picture annoys me. You love him too, and that makes us rivals."

"What makes you think I like him?"

"I know people, Yandere-chan. I've been watching you ever since Mei Mio's death. Your existence had gone under the radar, but after that incident, I began to pay attention. The police didn't investigate that much, but my men are experts. Tracing that incident back to you was child's play."

"So?"

"So," The girl continues, her smug expression quickly becoming my least favourite thing to look at. "I started watching you, keeping track of what you did. And finding out you would watch Taro Yamada and pick up anything he left over…well, it was rather obvious what was going on."

This girl…she's been watching me from almost the very beginning. Just a few days ago, I was certain that I wouldn't be caught in any of those incidents, and while I dodged the police, I never expected someone like _her_ to be watching me. There were many variables I considered, but I never considered an outside organization observing me from behind the screens.

"And this room is for…?"

The girl laughs again and takes a few steps back, barking commands at the scientists in a language I do not recognize, perhaps German. They nod and begin pushing buttons, and the restraints on the chair holding me in place tighten, squeezing down on my wrists and ankles, and I hiss as the biting pain of my left ankle returns. The girl looks happily at what is happening before folding her arms and glancing back at me.

"It's my Amusement Room, and you are the main attraction. Try not to hold in any screams, okay?"

Before I can ask her why I would ever scream, an incredibly high voltage surges through my body and causes me to shake. I gasp weakly.

My heart is beating way faster than it should and every part of my body feels like it is on fire. I have never felt what it is like to be electrocuted, but I definitely have now. The roots of my hair stick up and I feel the powerful urge to throw up. I glare right back at the girl standing there, watching this, and I gasp again.

"W-what was…that…?" I manage to mutter feebly, my entire body feeling weakened and unable to function.

"That was a circuit flowing through your body. Feels terrible, doesn't it? Like your entire body has been stung. Did I say this was my Amusement Room? I meant to say…my Torture Room. We're going to have a lot of fun here, Yandere-chan. I will make you suffer before I kill you."

Another shock shoots through my body, everything burns on the surface of my skin. A scream wishes to force itself out of my mouth, but I hold it in with all of my effort. There's no way I'm going to show weakness in front of this girl, I'm not going to give her what she wants. Instead, I keep struggling around in my restraints, trying to find a way to slide out of them somehow.

Yet another shock hits me, I cough out blood and watch it land onto the floor beneath me. Things are beginning to become blurry, I cannot think straight, the scientists pressing all the buttons mumble something to each other. One of them steps around the glass separating us and approaches me with a needle. They force it into my left arm and inject some kind of green liquid into me before quickly walking away back to his position.

"That was an adrenaline shot, we don't want you falling unconscious during all this, do we?"

This bastard.

The pain I'm feeling right now doesn't even measure up to the pain I had been experiencing from the wounds I have gained. And with the adrenaline shot constantly raising my pulse higher and higher, I cannot even pass out from the intensity of the agony I am experiencing. I chew on the inside of my cheek, thinking it will help, but instead I only taste more blood in my mouth. The sudden urge to scream and shriek out comes back to me but I resist again, that's not going to happen.

For a few moments, they turn off the electric current going through my body and let me take a couple of breaths. The girl leans in closer and cackles in delight, enjoying every second of this.

"…why don't you scream…? Come on, I've been waiting to hear it."

I spit out some more of my own blood and growl at her. This person…I want to watch her burn more than anyone else.

"What…is your…name?" I struggle to speak as my jaw feels like it can fall off from its position at any second.

"Oh? You wish to know my name, Yandere-chan?"

"Yes…"

"Well, if you hold on for a couple more hours, I suppose I'll tell you."

Before I can curse at her, I'm interrupted by my own screams. It finally comes out at full force as the current buzzing through me raises even higher.

And that's exactly what happened for the next four hours. More and more currents shot through me, electrocuted me almost to the brink of death, only to stay conscious with the constant injections of adrenaline. It was absolute hell, I had never experienced anything like it. It was just an endless cycle, electrocuted, injected with liquids, hearing that damned girl laugh at my pain, repeat.

Through it all, the only wish in my head was to pass out from the agony, but they simply wouldn't let me do that. They made sure to keep me awake throughout the entire experience, they didn't let me miss even a second of all that pain.

After all of that, they released the restraints on me and dragged me right back to my cell, chucking me into it and locking it shut again. The girl followed me to my cell, and once her men had thrown me inside, she got close up to the cell, watched me lie weakly on the ground, and whispered something to me that made herself giggle like she had just heard a great joke.

"Hope you're looking forward to the next day, get a goodnight's rest."

I pass out before even being able to decide if I'll sleep on the bed or not.

* * *

The next day is the same thing.

The moment I wake up, men in tuxedos rush into my cell and grab me by the arms and legs, dragging me towards their Torture Room. This time I can barely move my body before the torture even begins, there's no strength left in me at all.

They strap me into the mechanical restraints and leave swiftly, with the girl from yesterday standing exactly where she was the last time we were in this position. She watches me struggle weakly in my restraints and walks closer to me, her smug grin hasn't changed at all.

"You look like a mess,"

"…you'll look a hell of a lot worse when I'm done with you." I spit back at her, coughing and wheezing as I realize that even talking is too difficult now.

The girl laughs at my response and leans in even closer, almost an inch away from my face.

"You wanted to know my name?"

"Yes,"

"My name is…" She whispers to me before the machine turns on again and more currents zap painfully through my body. My head pulls itself back and I start to shriek again, my screams filling up the entire room, and the girl finally continues. Even though I'm in agonizing pain, I still hear it. "Megami, you'd best not forget it."

A wave of pain after another, no pauses and no breaks anymore. The scientists behind the glass do not flinch in the slightest as I roar out the pain I'm feeling right now. Things start to fade away, I'm probably fainting, but another scientist quickly comes and injects me with another shot of adrenaline. They aren't bothered by this at all, they continue this cycle without hesitating, my screams not affecting them even at their highest volume.

"Stop," Megami giggles to the scientist, and the machine of torture finally turns off and I have a chance to catch my breath. Megami wanders closer and pulls out a pocket knife from her fur coat, its surface showing my reflection as she approaches me. "Do you know what this is?"

"A knife?"

"Yes, and it'll teach you just what happens to those that get in my way."

In an instant, Megami raises the pocket knife and stabs it into my left hand's palm, crushing the bones inside.

I shriek and wriggle around in my restraints. I'll kill her. I swear to god I'm going to kill her.

Blood gushes out of my hand as Megami slowly slides the knife back out of my flesh, and I'm left there with a hole in my palm. She giggles as she looks at my blood resting on her knife, then laughs even harder as she drives it through the other hand as well. I howl and try kicking her away, but my legs are completely held in place.

This hurts so badly, the amount of pain in my hands is absolutely unbearable. I just want to get out of this chair and destroy every last fibre of her existence. I'll pluck out her eyelashes one by one and feed it to her as I step down on her smug face.

I'll…I will…I will kill her.

Even though I try to hold out the best I can, I pass out again. My head flops forward and I cannot think straight anymore. A male scientist rushes to my chair and stabs another needle into my arm, trying to give me more adrenaline.

But there's just nothing left in me anymore, not even these shots of energy are having much effect now, I'm simply too weakened.

"Ma'am, the subject's vitals are still dropping." The male scientist exclaims to Megami and she sighs in return. She doesn't want this to end yet.

"Just give her a stronger shot."

"But ma'am…that's far too dangerous. It kill her even faster than what we are currently doing and-"

"I don't care, just do it. I haven't had enough fun with her just yet. Give her the strongest shot you have."

I can just barely hear what they are saying, even sounds are too faded to understand properly. And when another needle enters my arm, I do not feel the pain of it pushing through my skin.

But I feel everything after that.

The rush of adrenaline fills my entire body and my eyes shoot open immediately. The scientist that gave me the injection takes a few quick steps back, his face beginning to sweat.

"Oh…my…god." He whispers, his voice cracking with fear. What is he so afraid of?

Then I glance at Megami, she has the exact same expression and she's also taking multiple steps backwards. In fact, almost all the scientists around me look scared now, and one of them even screams out themselves. Why are they suddenly so afraid of me.

Megami's jaw begins to shake as she points at me with a trembling finger.

"Her eyes…are glowing!"

What? My eyes?

I glance at the glass around me, glaring at my own reflection. My skin looks so pale, I look so sick and depraved of any life.

Now that I've begun to notice the changes, I do not feel pain anymore. The pain from the holes in my hands? I don't feel even a little bit of it anymore, and I no longer feel so weak and powerful.

I stare at my iron restraints and grin as they break the moment I begin to struggle. Thick muscles pulsate under my skin, even metal cannot stop me now. I step casually out of the chair that had been holding me and laugh, my head swinging back as I boom out into a cackle. One of scientists run towards me and try to side tackle me, thinking he can throw me off my feet.

With just one punch, I watch as the scientist's tooth goes flying straight out of his mouth.

Oh, this is just perfect. I don't know how I've gotten so powerful, but I'm not going to question it.

Another scientist pulls out a small pistol, firing a shot that zips right towards me, going for my head.

By complete instinct and nothing else, I roll behind a nearby table and hear the bullet whiz past me. The sound of the gunshot was surprisingly loud, but has managed to get my heart beating even faster.

"It's a monster!" One of the scientists screams as they bolt straight out of the exit.

I cackle again. This is just far too amusing, watching the scientists who put me through all that torture now cower in fear is simply delicious.

"G-guards, seize her!" Megami yells at the men in tuxedos, dashing out of the exit herself.

Oh, you aren't going anywhere. You're the one who has awoken this beast, now it's going to tear you apart.

I rush towards the small pocket knife that Megami had left on the ground and bolt forward to the first guard, slashing the knife downwards and watching his head roll across the floor. The other guards retreat a few steps but keep firing, and finally one of the bullets pierces through my left arm. I stare at the wound, it has gone straight through, that's no problem. And with all this adrenaline, I cannot feel the pain, so it shouldn't slow me down. Next, I leap towards the guard that managed to shoot me and take off his hand with one simple cut of my knife, before stepping down on his head and snapping his neck with my weight.

These fools are beginning to slow me down and Megami is only getting further away, I should dispose of them quickly.

I smash my right foot into the next guard's stomach and push him into another one, grabbing his dropped pistol and firing twice, and they both fall down, dead. However, I hear a snapping noise in my right shoulder blade. I must have broken something back there, I haven't fired a weapon before. Oh well, it cannot be worse than the injuries I'm currently dealing with.

With the guards out of the way, I walk casually out of the exit.

Alarms are blaring all around me, and I see workers of this factory frantically running away from me. I stare at my shirt, covered in people's blood. Yeah, I don't exactly blame them for being scared. I drop the pistol I had been using but keep hold of Megami's pocket knife, still dripping with my own blood. I'm not going to use a gun on her, oh no, that would make her death too quick. No, I want to cut her up with her own knife and see her priceless expression throughout the entirety of her own torture.

I stare at the two hallways branching into different directions. Damn, she could have gone either way, and if I choose the wrong one I'll lose her. I suppose I have to use _that_ again, huh?

The vision I used back when sparring against Hanako in our martial arts class. The one I've had since I was a child. It's time to see if it can help me out in this situation.

I take a few calm breaths and watch as everything about my surroundings that aren't important fade away. All I see now is what I need to see.

The two hallways are heading downwards, so I glance down at the ground and see the floor below.

Wait…I can see the floor below me through solid steel and iron?

It seems even my vision has become more useful now. That torture that Megami had put me through seems like it has done wonders to me. Just how far can I take it?

No, that's not important right now. Focus, you need to find Megami first and tear her to pieces, nothing else matters right now.

And through my vision, I see her at the bottom floor to my right, so I begin to run in that direction. It doesn't seem like she has gotten far, I'll probably still make it to her if I hurry. All I can say now is that she's rather fast.

I glance around myself and what is on the floor I'm currently on, it seems to be a mechanical room filled with switches, levers, and gauges. Megami is directly below me, but I cannot seem to find any sort of stairs or elevator that can take me down there.

More guards rush up at the end of the hallway I'm in, sort of like a human barricade. How interesting.

They open fire on me but the bullets swerve in all the wrong directions as I move in a zigzag-like pattern, eventually reaching the first of the three guards. He drops his gun and tries to throw a punch instead, but I grab his fist in mid-air and slam it right back into his own face, watching as he collapses immediately, and the other two guards walk backwards hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" I laugh, my heart beating dangerously fast inside my chest. "Afraid of a little girl?"

That causes one of the guards to rush towards me, but I dig my foot into his face and giggle as his glasses snap in half from the force. I sweep my feet towards and watch as he falls onto the ground, then finish him off my digging my pocket knife into his chest. The last guard tries to take advantage of this, thinking I'm busy with the other guy, and attempts to fire at me again. I grab hold of the barrel of his gun before he can properly point it at me and pull the trigger myself with my other hand, forcing him to fire three bullets into himself.

I gaze at the three guards lying by my feet, admiring my work.

What the hell kind of drug did Megami pump into me? This is incredible.

Resuming a light jog down another hallway, I use my vision to look at the floor beneath me. Megami is heading to an elevator, around twenty men surrounding her with every step now. That's bothersome. I do not like my chances of getting past all of them before she gets away. This is a factory, which means plenty of exits to bolt away from. At this rate, she'll be out of this factory before I am, but I want her dead right now, so I'm stuck in a troublesome position.

The two holes in my hand, the hole in my ankle and my head injury are also holding me back from properly doing anything. These are the kinds of injuries that need attention quickly, but looming around here any longer won't help in the least.

I reach another hallway, this one filled with wires and tubes, some thin and small and some as large as me. I glance at the labels on them, they're gas pipes.

Oh my, this could be exactly what I need.

There's plenty of gas here, in fact it seems like all of the gas used in the factory comes through this hallway, which is very useful. I reach into my left pocket and hold out the lighter the old man had given me. It didn't help me open the lock to my cell, but it can definitely help now.

As I try to kneel down next to one of the tubes, the lighter slips out of my hand and falls onto the ground. I growl. These hands can barely hold anything now, and that's all Megami's fault, but that's fine. I'll be getting my revenge on her now. With Megami's pocket knife, I gradually begin cutting into the tube, my torn hands causing the process to slow down drastically. While I'm cutting into it, I carefully hold the lighter in my other hand. If I hold this to the tube immediately, then I'll be the first one to die, and that would be incredibly problematic. I'll have to set the lighter somewhere else and hope that the reaction will have a delay long enough for me to get out of the area in its duration.

The surface of the tube scraps off gradually, but I haven't cut completely threw it yet. I hear footsteps echoing, it sounds like it is coming this way. Perhaps they have figured out my location, that is even more troublesome. Even with the injury of my left hand, I begin to cut faster. I need to get this done now, not a second longer than is what is required.

A bullet whizzes over my head, more guards appear from around the corner, and my pocket knife finally cuts through the tube. About time.

More shots follow and get dangerous close to me, there must be at least ten men firing their weapons. I need to get out of here _now._

Gas begins to flow out of the hole I've made in its tube and I know that there's more than enough to pull off what I want to. This is a rather large factory, but this will be sufficient for what I want to do with it. I start to run in the opposite direction, to a massive door with a rusted sign saying 'exit' on it, and when I'm at a far enough distance, I toss the active lighter behind me.

There are several silent moments and my heart pauses as nothing happens, but then it begins.

From behind me, the sound of a large explosion echoes. My lighter and the immense amount of gas have come together into a ridiculously powerful explosion. I immediately begin to run faster, going as fast as my feet can take me, but the expanding explosion is right behind me. I significantly underestimated just how strong this explosion was going to be, and the constant flow of gas from the tube I cut is giving it all the fuel it needs.

Small flames reach my back and I feel my skin beginning to sizzle, but thankfully it causes me to somehow run even faster. I'm dashing at such an incredible speed now that everything around me is a simple blur. The large exit is just a few feet away, I hold out my arms in front of me and give one powerful leap in hopes of making it out in time.

The explosion roars out as I fall several floors down, the exit I jumped into having no ground left for me to stand on. I crash into solid ground multiple times before finally standing on something more soft. Steel bars and other parts of the whatever is left of the factory lands just a few steps away from my face. Everything becomes a daze for a couple of moments, and when I can finally see clearly again, it's a wonderful sight.

First, I look down at my own feet. I'm still bleeding in many places, but I'm still intact. Most of the skin on my back is burnt but I don't feel it, or at least not yet. My heart is racing and I'm too proud of what I did to worry about any pain that I should be feeling at this point.

The factory, or whatever is left of it, crumbles down to the ground in front of me. I stand there, panting and trying desperately to catch my breath as I watch that damned place burn to the ground thanks to that one explosion I started. Several explosions take place by themselves, continuing the chemical reaction that I had started, and it gradually speeds up the process of the destruction of the factory. Screams and cries for help emit from inside, but they only cause me to smile. Killing all those people was too much fun, and watching the ones still alive slowly die from the fire is incredibly entertaining.

I wonder, however, did Megami and that old man make it out of the factory in time? There was absolutely no way they could have guessed that I was going to pull off something like this, so the chances of them being caught in that explosion are very high. I'm conflicted, actually. On one hand, I want them both to suffer for what they did, and what better way for them to burn slowly in a fire I started?

But on the other hand, I didn't get to have any fun with Megami and make her suffer for what she did to me. She has taken the number one spot for the person I hate the most. If she died in that fire, then good riddance, but if she made it out alive…then I'll hunt her down and make sure that the next time we meet will be her worst nightmare.

I stare at the blood and cuts in both my hands, feet, and pretty much everywhere else. I've been stabbed, electrocuted, and burnt severely in the span of two days. That must be a record. It had its ups and downs, but ultimately? It was rather fun, and a teachable experience.

Whatever group had been working for Megami and made this possible will now hopefully understand that I'm not a person to be messed with. I'm not weaklings like them, none of them will ever equal up to me. And under no circumstances is Megami ever getting close to Senpai, I don't care how much she's interested in him, that's never going to be an option for her.

In the distance, a singular man crawls across the ground.

His tuxedo is torn and burnt, his sunglasses are nowhere to be found, and almost all of his flesh has become black. He gasps and wheezes pathetically, and when I approach him slowly, he crawls a little further and holds out a hand for me, expecting me to take it.

"…help…me…please."

I take another few steps forward and stare at the man, there's barely anything left of him thanks to the fire I started. I lean in a little closer and grin at him, his constant pain giving me pleasure. This guy is one of the men that dragged me to that Torture Room over and over, how ironic how the roles have been reversed, wouldn't you say?

"Nope, you're a dead man anyway."

He gasps again, weaker this time, and looks directly at me with his bloodshot eyes. He takes a few deep breaths and groans before looking back at me and asking me his final question.

"Who… _what_ are you…?"

I cackle at his question and raise my foot, pushing down all of my weight onto his head until his skull cracks and small chunks of brain gushes along the ground.

 **"Your end."**


	16. No 15: Guess Who's Back

Damn, everything hurts.

With another bandage successfully wrapped, I take a deep breath and look at myself in the mirror.

I look like a mess.

There are bandages all over me. They cover both the wound on my head, given to me by the Journalist, and the wound in my foot, given to me by Hanako. And now, there are even more bandages covering the holes in both of my hands, given to me by that damn Megami.

It's like I have a souvenir for every enemy in my way now. How wonderful.

That's sarcasm, none of this is good.

I am in terrible condition and currently unable to engage combat, and that snake of a girl called Megami is probably still out there after all that she has done to me. Not to mention, I'm back to an ordinary person again.

That's right. No more super speed or ability to not feel pain, it drained itself out the moment I crawled my way home. It was powerful and toxic, like a shot of adrenaline, but it was over before I even realized it. Was it because of the electricity that was surging through me thanks to Megami, or the adrenaline they kept injecting into me, or was it…something more…?

Either way, whatever it was, it's gone now and I have no idea how to bring it back. If I became like that because of my burning desire to rip her into a bloody pulp, then hopefully it'll come back to me the next time I meet her. And seeing how she'll most likely still try to hunt me down, that seems soon.

Whoever she is, I know now that she's on a completely different level. Osana and Kokona could never measure up to Megami, or even Hanako and the Journalist for that matter. Megami seems to have an entire army of criminals down in the underground, and that will definitely present itself as a problem later on.

So now, I have the Student Council President, Senpai's little sister, and a retired journalist to worry about. And right now I have enough bandages around me to pretend like I'm a mummy.

God, I just want kill something beautiful…like a baby kitten or something.

I turn away from the mirror and grab my clothes, sliding them on carefully, before rushing down the stairs and heading to the door. I see Father sitting calmly and timidly in the living room, but I don't bother to say goodbye. As I'm slipping my shoes on, Mother exits the kitchen and stares at me with her blank eyes.

She didn't tell me anything when I came home after two days with blood all over me, nor did she even seem to notice. But as I'm putting my left shoe on, she shakes her head at me.

"You don't look well," She comments annoyingly, and I know that ignoring her will get me nowhere.

"Yeah, these past few days haven't been fun."

"Just what happened when you disappeared for two days, sweetheart?"

"I got tortured."

"Oh, that's nice. How was it?"

"Not gonna lie, I'm not a fan."

With that, I leave through the front door and close it quickly behind me.

Now, this is usually the point when I'd call a taxi to take me to school, but that's not happening this time. The last time I called a taxi, I got kidnapped, so I've decided not to take my chances this time around. I'm just going to get there the old fashioned way, by walking.

It takes around ten minutes to reach school, but when I enter the gates I immediately begin to feel exhausted.

It feels like it has been a year since I last stepped foot inside of Akademi High, especially with all the kidnapping and murders here, it has been troublesome.

From what I've heard, Hanako hasn't come back to school yet. It's been around two weeks since our little incident at the café, but it seems she is still traumatized from that experience. I shouldn't lower my guard, however, as she can decide to start attending school again at any moment. And for now, Hanako shall be my first target, since I believe she's the weakest.

The Journalist is a grown man with his own supplies and Megami is practically untouchable with her army. For now, killing Hanako looks like the safest and best course of action. Sure, it might upset Senpai to have his little sister killed, but soon enough he'll understand that I'm doing this for him.

My plan for today is to simply enjoy being with Senpai again, and watch out for any more potential enemies that might reveal themselves. I'll do my best not to engage myself in any combat because of my current condition, but I'm sure I can still throw a good punch or two if things come to that.

As I walk over to the fountain at the front of school and obverse students passing by me, making their way to their lockers, I immediately begin to notice the prying eyes on me. It will definitely seem strange to see a schoolgirl have bandages on so many parts of her body, but hopefully they'll just assume I was caught in a very bad accident.

The bell rings. It's time for class. I hope that it won't last an eternity.

But let's be serious, it'll probably feel that way.

* * *

Info-chan grumbles silently to herself as she stares at the multiple monitors resting on her desk.

She had been keeping track of the activity going on around Akademi High and especially Aishi, but things only seems to get worse every time she checks.

For a while, Info-chan was relieved that Aishi was going low profile and making sure not to leave a mess behind her, but it looked like that subtlety was no longer a thought in Aishi's mind.

Gradually, the things Aishi would do would become more and more dangerous and something that the media will pick up, and with the most recent news now, Info-chan has started to become even more antsy. Just two days ago, a factory had been destroyed due to a gas pipe leak. The police called it a simple fault with the integrity of the building, but Info-chan knew better. She was well aware that the factory had been holding hundreds of underground criminals belonging to the Student Council President of Akademi High.

She knew the Student Council President well, and had always suspecting that woman of owning all those criminals. And with the help of Info-chan's personal contacts, it was child's play to find out that a black-haired girl with a knife was seen fleeing the scene. The police didn't pick up that trail, but Info-chan had eyes everywhere. If she was the police herself, Aishi would've been exposed a long time ago.

Curiosity was the main reason that Info-chan had begun to help out Aishi in the first place, however seeing how reckless she was beginning to become left her anxious. If Aishi left behind a trail clear enough for the authorities to follow, it might even be traced back to her. Info-chan cannot afford that. She is fascinated by Aishi's existence and her actions, but reckless actions such as these might get them both dead.

Info-chan gets off her chair and turns off all of the monitors, unable to sit down at the computer any longer. She needed some air.

With her red hair flowing down to her shoulders in a scruffy fashion and casual clothes on, she left the house and stepped outside onto the streets. A nice walk would help clear her mind at a time like this.

Currently, it's school time, but that doesn't bother Info-chan. She very rarely attends Akademi High, that place simply bores her, and going there now will only cause her to get in Aishi's way. For now, she'll remain in the shadows and just let Aishi do her own thing. She knows that Aishi keeps pulling off more and more reckless acts, but there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about it. Aishi would never listen to her advice.

As Info-chan walks along the sidewalk, allowing the calm breeze of the wind brush past her, her eyes catch sight of a black, conspicuous car pull over on the side right next to her. The windows are heavily tinted, so Info-chan cannot properly see who is inside. If any other person was in this situation, they would bolt away the moment such a thing happened, but she was different. Curiousity was always Info-chan's greatest weakness, and it had taken over her again, she wanted to know what kind of person had gathered up the courage to confront her. Whoever it is, guessing from the car, they must be quite rich.

Finally, the black car reaches a complete stop and the door at the back opens up, revealing a young man.

He looks like he is in his early twenties, his sharp gaze and business suit emitting a powerful aura from him. The man has a calm and gentle smile as he walks slowly over to Info-chan, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Hello, are you Info-chan?"

There are a couple of silent moments as Info-chan stares right into the young man's eyes, but eventually she takes the hand and shakes it.

"Yes, who's asking?"

As they both let go of their handshake, the young man signals to the driver of the black car to take off and that's exactly what it does. The man waits until the black car disappears around the corner before answering Info-chan's question.

"My name is Ian Hollister, I was hoping I could talk to you."

"Are you with the police?"

"Oh, I can assure you I'm not. You don't need to worry, I haven't come here to your apartment for anything else other than a simple chat."

Ian's voice sounds soft and completely under control of everything, but definitely not threatening. Info-chan is suspicious that this young man knows the name she uses for herself at Akademi High, however she wants to hear what he has to say before she decides what to do next.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?"

"Do you wish to go to a restaurant or somewhere so we can talk comfortably about this?"

"No, I don't even know what 'this' is. We aren't going anywhere. Just tell me what you want."

"Very well," Ian finally responds, sounding slightly disappointed. He folds his arms and takes in a deep breath, seeming almost nervous. However, that expression quickly fades away and he speaks normally. "I have heard that you have many connections, is that correct?"

"Define connections. That word can mean a lot of things."

"I mean I've heard that you have eyes and ears everywhere. Anything that happens, you know about it almost immediately. Is that not true?"

"What if it is? Why are you asking about my connections?"

"Because I need them." Ian admits while turning away for a moment, glancing at passing people and making sure that his voice does not reach any of them. " _We_ need them."

"Who is 'we'?"

"I belong to an organization that even the police aren't aware about. Currently, we've been given a mission based on the criminal activity in Japan."

"And you need my help to do that? You seriously require the help of a schoolgirl for your mission? What kind of organization are you?"

"The kind of organization that can still find out things. Such as the fact that you have been doing dangerous things within Akademi High." Ian suddenly snaps back in a deep and dark tone, it causes Info-chan to frown.

"Oh dear, are you threatening me? Don't make me laugh by telling me that you can expose me. I can disappear as fast as I can get my information. You cannot touch me."

"I'm not threatening you, I'm just telling you that the organization I belong to is far more capable than you might think."

"And what exactly will I get for helping you?"

"Money,"

"I'm not interested in money."

"Protection, then."

"I don't need protecting."

Ian shakes his head in disagreement and giving Info-chan a knowing smile.

"We're aware of the kind of business you're getting yourself into. Trust me, protection is what you need most."

Ominously, the young man takes a couple of steps forward now, feeling confident.

His sharp eyes stare directly into Info-chan's and he knows that he's found exactly what she needs from someone. That is what he can use.

"So, what do you say?"

* * *

I don't think there's anything else that mankind has created that is more boring than art class.

It didn't help that we had to paint something, I have no artistic talents. And I received plenty of stares once I had drawn whatever I could. The subject was to paint any kind of flower that we wanted to, so I decided to draw a rose. Not that I actually like roses, but I figured they would be pretty easy to draw. I drew the stem, the centre, the petals, and then began to colour it.

Apparently, drawing droplets of blood drip off the red rose isn't seen as appropriate by the teacher.

It's not like I have any experience with art, but I'm quite certain that my painting was one of the best in the class. It was different and creative, perhaps even philosophical, but of course they had to find some sort of problem to have with it.

Whatever.

I leave the classroom the moment the bells ring and make my way to the front of the school building, since that's where Senpai shall be.

As I walk down the stairs and walk past the lockers, outside of the doors I can clearly see him. He hasn't changed at all, sitting beside that pink blossom tree like a resting angel. I stand there, behind one of the lockers, admiring his natural beauty. His black hair flowing elegantly with the wind, his curious eyes scanning over his book.

One day those eyes will be looking right at me.

It's a real shame that I'll have to kill his sister, isn't it? I mean, I'm completely fine with killing Hanako in cold blood, but at the same time I'll be upsetting Senpai, won't I?

Oh well, it needs to be done. There's no way around it.

I slide out the phone in my left pocket and immediately start snapping pictures of Senpai. Some of them are blurred due to the fact that my hands are shaking with excitement, but they're still treasures for me and me only. All these wounds, I got them for you, Senpai. They are physical evidence that I've been working hard every day for you, Senpai. No one will be in our way once my work is done, even Megami shall be eliminated. And then it will just be you and me.

Won't that be wonderful?

More students begin to pour out of the classrooms and the corridors become crowded. I growl quietly under my breath, just when I was just beginning to have fun they have to ruin it like this. I grab my bag and keep moving, I'll be able admire Senpai's handsomeness later, when I can do so properly.

Things sure have moved on around here, a new student couldn't even tell that several students have already died here under the label of suicide. The students have moved onwards as well, and while a couple of them have decided to come to school less often, most students have not changed their schedule of coming here. It's a shame. The fewer students that attend here means less people to bother me, but almost no one has left yet. Perhaps it's because the only deaths here have been suicides so far, well, except for Osana, but Kokona was said to be the killer and she's dead now too. Three deaths of mine have gone completely under the radar, not even slightly tracing back to me, and while Info-chan has been a large help for that, I am still the one who achieved this.

I enter the girls' bathroom and close the door behind me, locking it shut. I don't need to see other people right now, alone time will do me some good.

The mirrors in front of the sinks reflect my tired expression, I lean closer to it and glare. The bandage on my head slips off as I untie its knot, looking at the wound underneath. The rip in the skin is nearly closed up, but even the slightest bit of pressure could open it up with more of my blood pouring out. I need to be careful. Bleeding from any other part of my body is fine, but bleeding from the head is an absolute no. Carefully and slowly, I wrap the bandage onto my head again and look at my hands. The holes in both of them are going to take a lot longer than anything else in terms of healing. I don't think I can even hold a knife properly anymore, which is a real shame.

Oh well, there are other ways of killing someone. I'll just look forward to the day when I can hold a weapon again.

I squint my eyes and stare at my reflection with irritation.

Why did none of these wounds hurt when I was trapped at the Student Council Principal's factory? What happened to me? I could move faster than any of the men that worked for Megami, I could dodge bullets directed right at me, and I killed so many men in the matter of a few simple kicks. I felt like Superman for crying out loud, but it ended the moment I left that factory. Will it ever come back? I need those abilities now more than ever, with all these wounds I'm completely helpless and weakened. I need to be stronger.

Footsteps echo outside of the bathrooms. People are coming here. Whatever, I'll just lock myself in one of the stalls.

I walk over to the door to the bathrooms and unlock it before heading to one of toilets and closing that door and locking it instead. The footsteps get louder and eventually I hear a couple of girls head inside, giggling and talking about boys. Typical.

Bored, I sit down on the toilet with its lid on. I'm in absolutely no mood to talkj to anyone right now, I'll just wait for them to leave.

"Hey, what lipstick is that?" I hear one of them asking as they, presumably, apply makeup in the mirrors.

"This? It's strawberry, wanna put it on?"

"Sure!"

Around a minute of silence, but I can still hear their footsteps. Just how long does it take for a few girls to put on some lipstick? This is utterly ridiculous.

"Say…does anyone know when that speech is going to be?"

One of the girls hum in deep thought for a while seconds before responding.

"Err…I think it's in, like, two minutes."

"Gosh, why do they even force us to go to those speeches? They're so stupid."

"I dunno, but it's better than being stuck in class."

"Let's go, don't wanna be late."

With that, I hear rapid footsteps leave the bathrooms. I step out of the stall and peek my head out and make sure they have left. There's no one around. Good.

A speech? Our school? I don't remember hearing something like that happening today, though I have to admit I don't pay attention at all to what the teachers say.

I don't enjoy speeches. They go on for around an hour and everyone has to stand out at the front of the school, all of the students crowded into one spot. They are too many people around and the people giving the speech never have anything interesting to say. I head out of the bathroom and begin walking down the corridors, making sure to move as fast as possible so no one has enough time to stare awkwardly at my bandages. These wounds better heal soon. I don't like staring eyes.

In the matter of a minute or two, I reach the front of the school where a small stage has been set. There is already a huge crowd of students standing beside the stage and they're all looking around cluelessly, mumbling about why they've been dragged all the way here. I listen in quietly as I stand at the very back of the crowd, it doesn't seem like any of them know what the teachers or principal will be announced or talking about. It looks like this is going to be a surprise.

I hate surprises.

Eventually, as the crowd becomes bigger and bigger as more students stand by the stage, the principal comes out of the front doors and climbs to the top of the stage, with two male students standing beside him.

It's rare to see the principal, but it doesn't look like his appearance ever actually changes.

A broad and bulky stature, yet round and chubby. He wears thick glasses, similar to Info-chan, and has a purple suit on. His short black hair stands on its ends, the sides of his hair spiked upwards yet the top of it flat. He sort of looks like a comic book villain. It's rather amusing.

The principal walks slowly towards the microphone and taps it a few times to test if it's on before speaking.

"Hello, wonderful students of Akademi High!" He booms, his voice reaching every student listening, even I can hear it all the way at the back of the crowd. "We apologize for the inconvenience of delaying the start of your next class, but we have someone very important here today that wishes to address something to all of you. Please welcome, our beloved Council leader!"

No.

There's no way.

Let it be someone else.

Please just let it be anyone else, just not her.

Please just tell me that I killed her in that damn factory.

In the corner of my eye, I see her again, striding happily towards the stage. She steps onto it and takes over the microphone that the principal had been using. Those blue eyes, that long black hair, and that smug gaze. It's her.

It's this school's Student Council President, it's Megami.

My trace my fingers across my left palm, feeling the deep wound that she inflicted upon it, and I can feel my anger boiling up inside me. My head begins to twitch violently from side-to-side, but thankfully no one can see me at the back of this crowd.

I had hoped so much that I had gotten rid of her. I knew that the chances of that were low, but I still hoped that she was already out of the picture. However, I can see now that she hasn't even started. There's not even a single scratch on her, and I growl quietly under my breath as she speaks confidently into the microphone, a proud and amused grin on her face.

I swear on everything that I've done so far, I'm going to kill her.

I'm going to kill Megami.

" **Hello everyone, I have an announcement to make."**


	17. No 16: One Down, Plenty More To Go

There were many things I expected Megami to try and pull off.

She was the kind of person who would want someone to feel defeat before actually defeating them, so I knew that if she was still alive, she'd try to do something to set me back.

But this? No.

All of the students stare at Megami, the Student Council President, standing atop the stage set at the front of the school. They're all listening to what that damned woman has to say, and there's absolutely nothing I can do to stop it.

"As you all know," she starts off with a smile, her piercing blue eyes glaring down at the crowd listening obediently to her. I'm at the very back where she can't see me, but she knows I'm here. "This school has faced many troubling times."

She takes a long pause between each sentence, probably to make this foolish speech of hers as dramatic as possible. I'd leap onto that stage and wring her neck right now if I thought I had a chance of succeeding without getting shot.

"In the past few months, multiple female students at our school have died. These are very unfortunate events, but the police have assured us that they were suicides."

A quiet murmur of voices follow through the crowd.

"The girl confirmed as the killer, Kokona, died soon after her crime. Everything seems to be okay now, does it not?"

That woman is leading this speech up to something; I can feel it in my bones. I'm so determined to make her stop breathing at this very moment that I begin to consider if I can kill the guards surrounding her with all of my injuries. Common sense prevails, but my urge to kill her doesn't fade.

"However, I stand in front of my fellow students today to announce that we shouldn't be so certain about our safety." Her voice echoes grimly through her microphone.

Apprehensive expressions fall like a wave over the students listening to the speech. My head slowly begins to twitch, and my hands feel sweaty. Megami seriously has some guts if she's about to expose me out to everyone like this. There's nothing I'd like more than an opportunity to stop her right now, but there are no options for me at this point. I'm injured and causing a scene will only result in my failure.

But, will I really be exposed here? Senpai is somewhere in this crowd, I'm sure. If he actually hears the truth about me…

Everything I've ever worked for will be finished in the blink of an eye.

"We have our own reason to believe that someone dangerous is still roaming around this school. As my precious classmates, I would just like to warn you, for your own safety."

No.

"Watch your backs. Be careful of who you talk to. Never be alone. Stay close to your friends."

No.

"Be sure to not bring anything to school that may be deemed as a weapon. And, most importantly, keep a keen eye out for any suspicious activity that may occur at our school."

NO.

"This is simply for your own safety. I hope that you all remain well and learn to the best of your ability. Thank you."

And then she simply strolls offstage and has her bulky bodyguards follow closely behind her with pistols resting carefully in their hands.

The moment the crowd disperses and heads back to the classrooms, I move quickly over to the rear of the school building where no one can hear me.

Then, making sure no one is around, I scream at the top of my lungs.

I will make her torture session far slower than I had ever made Kokona's. There will only be tiny chunks of bloody flesh once I'm done with her. That smile of hers, that infuriatingly smug smile, will be the last thing I tear off her face before stabbing her with any knife I can get my hands on.

I should be surprised that she didn't just call me out and tell everyone that I'm the one behind it all, but no, I've gotten a pretty good read on Megami at this point. She's causing more and more people to be cautious and look out for someone like me. She doesn't want to expose me, she wants to challenge me. That's what she told me back at that torture room: she wants to see me suffer before I die.

She has complete power over Akademi High and an entire army of criminals in the underground at her disposal, but she's choosing to let me persist in my elimination attempts. She's chosen to make things significantly more difficult for me to see how much I can take before I break. People at this school used to be careless and getting away with my deeds used to be easy, but I doubt that will be the case anymore. Now, students are aware that someone like me might be around, and that means even the slightest wrong move will result in my downfall.

I take a deep breath and sit down on the grass, trying to take this all in. This situation of my mission to get Senpai keeps changing and I'm forced to keep adapting to those changes. It's taking a toll on my sanity at this point, but that doesn't mean anything will be ending soon. As frustrating as it is to know that I'm currently just an insect in Megami's hands, I need to remain calm and focused. It angers me, but I can use this to my advantage. The Student Council President has decided to not directly attack me yet to see what I can do.

And that's fine. If Megami wants to see what I'm capable of so badly, I'll show her.

As risky as it is, I have to keep killing. I still don't have that much blood on my hands; I need to gain more. The only thing I need to change is who I kill.

I used to just kill my selected victims, but Megami told everyone that the potential serial killer going around is only targeting girls. Which means if boys suddenly start dying as well, her words will be incorrect. Staging more accidents and suicides will be troublesome, but leaving traces of a killer in those deaths will be far more troublesome.

My target is still Hanako for now. She's the weakest out of all my opponents, but I don't think I can handle that alone. As much as it pains me to admit it, the first thing I have to do is ask Info-chan for help. If she can set up another situation for me to kill Hanako, then that would be perfect. The only thing I have to do by myself is getting ready for whenever Megami will personally attack me again.

She already tried once, but that won't be enough for her. We'll just keep trying until she finally kills me or I finally kill her. And seeing how much power she has behind her, I need to be ready as soon as possible. It's impossible to know when she will decide to do that; it could be at any moment, so I need to be prepared for it as soon as possible. The only method I can think of to be ready for Megami is to figure out how to trigger what happened to me in that factory. When I escaped the torture room, I moved around like a blur and killed men twice my size. It was definitely something supernatural, and it seems like my only line of defence at this point. If I can figure out a way to trigger it once more, it could be a lifesaver.

Massive amounts of pain? That's one possibility. However, if it had something to do with the drug that they injected into me, then I don't see how I could get my hands on some more. I don't know where Megami got it, nor if there's even any more of it. I could ask Info-chan, but if that drug has absolutely nothing to do with my sudden increased abilities, then it'll simply be a waste of time. And right now, more than ever, time is money.

No. I should focus right now. Preparing for Megami's next attack is one thing to consider, but at this moment in time, my only thoughts should be about killing Hanako. That weakling may have escaped me back at the café, but that was simple luck. This time, I shall be more careful and make sure there's no way she can escape. Once Hanako is out of the picture, I can finally begin my attack on the Journalist. Since our little struggle when he confronted me and Mother, he has been keeping his distance, but his presence hasn't left me yet. At one point or another, he has to die too. Maybe I'll give the corpse to Mother as a trophy since she hates him so much.

Maybe Mother will buy me a nice ice cream for doing that.

I make my way back to the front of the school. There are still many things on my mind, but I think I have it mostly cleared out now. What needs to be done is obvious.

With a quick slide through my pockets, I grab my phone and type into the number that's apparently supposed to be Info-chan's number. I don't know how it's actually supposed to work since the saved number is simply ten zeros, but whatever Info-chan did to my phone seems to be working for me. Placing the phone to my ear, I hear the dial slowly ring. Usually, it only takes a few minutes for the desperate Info-chan to answer me, but this time the number keeps ringing until it finally gets cut off.

Strange. I would guess that she's busy, but I'm incredibly doubtful about that. My mission became the centre of her life ever since I started. I growl quietly under my breath and decide to walk back to class instead. Really, what I need the least right now is the best tool I have to stop answering me.

Honestly, where can that fool be at a time like this?

* * *

Info-chan stood at the top of the school building, glaring down at the students below, especially Aishi.

The red-haired girl watched silently as Aishi pulled out her phone, and sure enough Info-chan's phone began to ring. With a frowned expression, Info-chan stared at her phone and let it ring. For once, she couldn't bring herself to speak to her partner, the serial killer. Mostly out of guilt.

She had been helping a serial killer this entire time, completely willing to contribute to Aishi's cause, yet in just the past few days, she had given in to the authorities. She had allowed a secret, special organization to claim almost all of her connections in exchange for her own protection. Before this, she had felt so powerful and connected to the rest of Japan with her eyes and ears across the country, but now they had all gone quiet since she handed them over to that organization. She still didn't know anything about the organization except the name of the one man who was supposedly a part of it. Yet, while not knowing much about them, that exact organization had held their part of the bargain.

Anything, literally anything at all that Info-chan did went completely under the radar. In fact, she now had so much protection that she was certain that she could waltz into a bar and kill someone without trouble.

Protected but weak. That's how Info-chan felt now.

And if Aishi found out about this little fact, Info-chan doubted that she would receive any mercy. Aishi would try to kill her without question, and that was a terrifying thought.

Still, she knew all too well that she couldn't avoid her partner. She had to answer back to Aishi at one point or another. She couldn't just back out of what she had started.

It felt strange; knowing that there were so many things out there that were out of her control was new. That needed to be changed soon. Otherwise, she would be of no use to Aishi anymore. Info-chan may have handed over her connections to be protected by the authorities, but that didn't mean she couldn't make more connections for herself. Of course, that would definitely take a while, but she knew she could stall for time. For now, her plan was to pretend to still have all of her connections and continue to help Aishi, but secretly build up all that she had lost. All those whispers she could hear around her: she needed them as soon as possible.

While watching Aishi from afar, Info-chan had been keeping herself busy too. Ever since that incident at the factory, she had been trying to read up more about Megami, the Student Council President. Strangely enough, she couldn't find out much, which was frustrating as the same had happened when Info-chan tried to find out more about Aishi. She was aware of Megami's presence and her strength, but if she wanted to help Aishi she needed to find out more about the Student President, and that could only happen once her connections were back.

Info-chan glanced back down from the roof of the school building. Even from up here, she had overheard and seen that little speech that Megami had displayed. It confused her. Wasn't Megami at least partially scared of Aishi? Did Megami really feel that confident that she could toy with someone like Aishi at Akademi High? Info-chan eventually smiled and giggled quietly. She knew Aishi's abilities better than anyone; no one could toy with Aishi without meeting their own brutal end.

With a deep breath, Info-chan grabbed her phone and called Aishi. It only took one full ring for it to answer, and when the line connected, a cold and dead voice came out of the phone.

"You didn't answer," Info-chan heard Aishi mutter in the call, her emotionless voice not wavering at any point.

"I have been…busy, you know, getting more information about that Megami person."

"Forget Megami, I will deal with her later. Conjure a plan to kill Hanako today."

"T-Today?" Info-chan repeated back into her phone, her eyes widening. "C-Can't I have more time to figure something like that out?"

"No, I want her dead today. I have more pictures for you to profit from, so just do as I say."

For a few moments, Info-chan held the phone away from her ear and sighed. Talk about sudden notices.

"Alright," Info-chan grumbles as she places the phone back to her ear. "But I'll need around three hours."

"Do it in two."

"But-!"

And then the line was cut off. Aishi had hung up on Info-chan.

This was irritating, to say the least. Now Info-chan had to make up a plan to kill Taro Yamada's little sister in just two hours.

She looked up to the sky and frowned, her glasses reflecting the sun's bright rays.

"God, I hate my job sometimes."

* * *

It had taken Info-chan exactly two hours, seven minutes, and thirty four seconds to call me back with a plan of attack. She took her time.

Either way, we have a plan now, and it'll be the last time I ever have to worry about Hanako again.

The school bells just rang, and I'm now outside the school gates, heading towards Senpai's house. As expected as her cowardly nature, Hanako still hasn't attended school, and, according to Info-chan, she's hiding in her bedroom. It's not a surprise such a thing happened. Any normal person would get traumatized after almost being killed. That's why normal people are so weak and feeble: they let their petty emotions get in the way, which weakens them significantly. I wonder if Hanako has nightmares about that time in the café when I almost killed her. I myself have seen that dream a few times, not as a nightmare, but as a frustrating dream where I can't finish what I started.

For a moment, I bend over and trace my fingers over the wound in my left ankle, the one given to me by Hanako as she escaped. It's been a pain ever since then, so I have to be sure to pay back every last ounce of that pain today. Today will be the day when I finally get rid of her.

My second attempt. The attempt where I'll finally do things right. In that café, I had underestimated what she could do. She's smaller and younger than me, but I completely disregarded the fact that she had been trained in the martial arts club. That's most likely why she got away. But this time? This time I'm ready. The plan that Info-chan provided me with isn't perfect, but it should be exactly what I need to pull this off.

Today is a Monday, which is when Senpai waters the plants around Akademi High after school. He won't be home for at least another few hours, and that's all I need.

I reach Senpai's house, seeing it over there on the other side of the road. It's nothing special knowing that Senpai isn't in there, but I do my best to forget my disappointment. I'm not here for Senpai, I'm here for that damned little sister. She is one of the most dangerous people getting in the way of my path to Senpai's heart. That girl doesn't want any other person to be by Senpai's side.

And for this fact alone, she has to die.

I step over to the other side of the road and observe the house. It's large and has several floors, almost identical to mine except it seems to be slightly bigger. With a black bag hung over my back, I walk around the house and climb over the fence going horizontally across its sides, reaching the back of the house. Sure enough, just like Info-chan said, there's a white back door.

There's no mask on my face this time. I don't need one. I've changed my mind about the cat mask thing. I want Hanako to see my face before she dies, nothing else.

With ease, I turn the back door's handle clockwise and open it, slipping inside into the garage.

There's an old car in the garage along with many toolboxes scattered across the floor. The stale smell of the place causes me to want to move faster. Behind the car, there's another door, and it makes a creaking sound as I push it open. For a second, I freeze and wait to hear if someone had noticed the sound, but nothing happens. I'm in the clear. Good.

I find myself sneaking across the back of a kitchen, crouching behind what seems to be their dinner table. Peering over my cover, I watch as a grown woman, probably in her forties, washing the dishes on the other side. This might become a major problem. Info-chan told me that Senpai's mother is usually out, but that doesn't seem like the case today. For now, she's facing the other way, so this can still work. The entrance to the hallway from the kitchen is to the left, still slightly behind Senpai's mother. Before moving from my spot, I consider my chances.

If for just one moment she turns around and sees me, I'll be arrested on the spot for intrusion, but if she doesn't, there's nothing else standing between me and Hanako. The door back to the garage is right behind me, so I can turn around and not take my chances right now.

No, that's not an option. I've waited far too long to see Hanako dead, I'm not leaving this for another day. Sometimes, taking risks is an absolute necessity.

Moving as quietly as I can in my crouched position and holding my breath, I slowly begin to advance to the exit of the kitchen. No matter how hard I try, I cannot help but make footsteps, but thankfully the sounds of the active sink is masking that pretty well. My heart beats quickly in my chest as I'm directly behind Senpai's mother. If she turns around right now, it's all over. Everything.

With a few more steps, I gradually move out of the kitchen and enter the hallway. My face almost goes red as I remember that I haven't been breathing for a while. I open my mouth and silently inhale as much oxygen as I can take. That was far too dangerous; this was never part of Info-chan's plan for me. Even the slightest mistake and I would have been caught and found out.

Still, I have passed that obstacle, and my target is now within my reach. I stare at the stairs leading upwards at the end of the hallway. She's finally within my reach. As long as I remain careful, this will go smoothly.

While putting my foot on the first step, I stick my left hand into my black bag and pull out what I've been hiding inside. A kitchen knife given to me by Mother; she knew that I needed one that would be effective. That's why this one is longer, sharper and has a thicker handle. It feels heavy in my right hand, dangerous too, but I immensely enjoy that feeling. It makes me feel invincible and like the person with all the power. With this knife, I'm going to eliminate another one of my rivals and take another step closer towards Senpai's heart.

Once I reach the top of the stairs, I glance to both sides. There's a blue door on the right and a pink door on the left. It's only common sense that Hanako's bedroom is the one with the pink door, but I find myself moving towards the blue door instead, my hand tracing its handle.

There's nothing I want more than to open this door and head inside, to see what treasures await me within. I've collected so many things from Senpai that have provided me with absolute happiness every time, but something from Senpai himself is on a completely different level. I could take his underwear, or his shirts, or his jeans, or even his blanket. To receive such things from Senpai's bedroom, it would be Christmas for me every day.

But, just as my hand begins to turn the handle, I stop and take a few steps backwards.

As much as I'd love to do something like that, I cannot. Right now, I'm on a mission. It's incredibly frustrating, but I need to focus on the task at hand. If Senpai's mother comes out of the kitchen and decides to head upstairs, I'm finished. Time is money right now; I cannot afford to spend even a second longer doing something I shouldn't be.

Growling with frustration, I walk away from Senpai's bedroom door and turn around.

Now it's time to kill Hanako once and for all.

First thing I do is walk over to the door and place my right ear against it. There are no sounds coming from inside, making me wonder if she's even home, but eventually I hear the sounds of whispering.

She's talking to herself?

Perhaps I really did traumatize her by trying to kill her in that café.

I stare at my right hand and the knife that I'm holding, seeing my own reflection inside of it. I look incredibly happy for once. These are the only times where I can actually find myself smiling. It's not an innocent smile, I can admit that, but hey, a smile is a smile.

Right?

I wrap my left hand around the handle of the pink door and take in a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

This door doesn't creak like the garage door did, but the moment it swings open I feel unnerved. A young girl lies there on her blossom-patterned bed, facing the other way with her eyes closed. She's sleeping, but I don't know whether she's a light or heavy sleeper, so I still trend carefully across her bedroom. I must be cautious, Senpai's mother is right downstairs. If I cause too much noise, that could reveal itself to be problematic. From what I can hear, that woman is still washing the dishes, but I shouldn't lower my guard because of that.

I walk slowly over to Hanako's bed, expecting the young girl to immediately open her eyes and look at me, but she doesn't. With a glance, I begin wondering if I can just quietly smother Hanako with her own pillow and be done with this. It would cause less evidence to pile up against me and will be a silent kill for me. Less problems would arise and I wouldn't have to worry about being caught by the mother.

Of course, that won't be the method of murder that I shall be using. That method doesn't involve enough pain for the victim. Using that method would be a sign of mercy for Hanako, and that's the last thing I want to give her.

My knife flashes white as I raise it directly above Hanako, and then flashes red as it pierces through Hanako's back.

Just as Hanako opens her mouth to scream, I place my left hand over it to shut her up. She squirms and starts biting on my hand, but I ignore the pain and shove the knife into her back a second time, watching as her shirt becomes stained with her own blood. She kicks us both off the bed and we start struggling on the floor, with Hanako desperately trying to squeeze out of my grip. As I try to go for the third stab into her back, she reaches her right hand out and slaps the knife, causing it to slide across to the other side of the bedroom.

I giggle happily, enjoying her little struggle, and carefully start moving towards the knife while holding Hanako tight. I receive a few elbows to my chin, but I retain my grip on her and don't let go. Eventually, my stretched out hand reaches the fallen knife and I hold it in my right hand again.

That's when Hanako slams the back of her head against my nose and slides out of my arms, getting to her feet.

Interesting. She's putting up more of a fight than Osana or Kokona ever did.

She opens her mouth to scream again, but I dart forward and shove my weight into her stomach, causing us to both fall back to the ground. Her left fist meets with my face around five times before I'm able to stab her with my knife again, driving it deep into her right leg. She cries and whimpers, screaming out as hard as she can into my hand, but the sounds of her agony do not leave the bedroom.

The sounds of dishes being washed downstairs stop and I realize that Senpai's mother is no longer distracted. This needs to be ending quickly.

My knife quickly goes for Hanako's neck but only grazes against it, not causing any kind of bleeding. I growl and try again, but Hanako punches me once again and I coil backwards.

It's no surprise that Hanako is lasting this long, and I'm happy she is, it's making this even more amusing for me. I swiftly get up to one knee and kick Hanako in the face, watching as a bloody teeth soars across the room, causing me to laugh harder. As she falls backwards, I grab her and shove the knife into her bottom jaw, digging it deep into her gums. Eventually, as I step back with blood on my hands, I stare at Hanako with her lower jaw simply hanging from her skull. There are tears in her eyes and she whimpers softly and weekly, kneeling there in the darkness while looking at me.

Pathetic.

I take a few steps forward, expecting her to move or struggle again, but she doesn't. She simply kneels there silently, waiting for my next move with eyes of sorrow.

Oh. So she has accepted her fate, huh?

I get close to her and kneel down to her level, watching happily as more blood pours out of her mouth with no end. Most people would faint or throw up at this sight, but it's a picture to me. A beautiful and satisfying picture.

"Ugh, Aghah, u-ugher." Hanako cries out to me, her lower jaw clinging on so weakly to her head that it looks like it will fall off at any moment. She cannot talk properly anymore, what a shame indeed.

"Sorry, Hanako. But you see, your death is necessary." I giggle as I hold my knife close to her throat and stare into her crying eyes. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of your brother."

And with one strong slash, the knife tears through the skin of Hanako's throat and more crimson liquid gushes out. Hanako's head rolls backwards and she goes limp.

Hanako, the annoying little sister, is dead.

Before I have enough time to admire my work, I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. They echo loudly throughout the entire house and I find my hands beginning to shake.

Someone must have heard the sound of struggle, it must be Senpai's mother coming up here to check out what's going on.

I glance down at my hands, they're drenching with Hanako's blood. There's no time to hide Hanako's body or admire the wounds I've inflicted upon her. I have to escape. I cannot be around here any longer.

Moving as quickly as I can, I dart towards the window and open it up, looking down below for an escape route.

Hanako's bedroom window is nothing like Senpai's, there's no gate to jump down to. If I tried to make the jump down so I can leave the scene, there's absolutely no doubt that I would break my legs.

With frantic eyes, I scan the room and consider my options.

I cannot escape, I cannot hide the body, I cannot hide myself using any part of this roo-

My eyes stop at the closet to the left corner of the bedroom. I stare at it for a few moments, my heart racing within my chest. That might be my only chance now.

Before I can properly think about it, the footsteps reach the top of the stairs and advance to the bedroom door. There's no time to think, I just need to act.

In a heartbeat, I rush into the closet and close the doors behind me. My back brushes against the soft fabric of clothes and my breathing echoes quietly inside. I place one hand over my mouth and try to slow my breathing down and quieten it as much as possible. Through the gaps of the doors, I stare at Hanako's still bleeding body lie on the floor, her motionless corpse's eyes still wide open.

Without any warning, the bedroom door swings open and creates a large thud sound. Someone rushes inside and pants heavily, their panting sounding incredibly deep and distressed. I cannot see who it is.

I lean slighter forward through the closet and take a closer look at the person who had entered, finally seeing their horrified face properly.

And my voice immediately gets caught in my throat as I see someone I hadn't expected to be stood there. The one person above all else I didn't want to be here at this time. I almost fall to my knees while hiding in the closet, both of my legs feeling incredibly weak.

The person runs over to Hanako's corpse and stares silently at it for a few moments, before breaking into tears and hugging the corpse as hard as they can. Some sort of emotion immediately begins to wash over me, but I do not know what it is. It's a stinging feeling yet it doesn't hurt, and it makes me unable to operate properly. I can only stand there silently and stare.

As Senpai hugs his dead sister in his arms.


	18. No 17: Yandere Hunting

I feel drained.

After all that I'd accomplished, I thought that the kill would feel wonderful, but my victories now all feel…bittersweet.

Everything had gone according to plan on the day I finally killed Hanako, my Senpai's little sister. Info-chan had made sure that there would be no visitors and that Hanako would be in her bedroom. With that guidance, I successfully got rid of Hanako for good and made her pay for coming in between me and Senpai.

Yet, one thing went terribly wrong.

Just as I had finished the job, Senpai came home. There wasn't any time for me to hide anything except for myself, and I couldn't help but watch as Senpai sat there hugging his dead sister in his arms. I stared at him from the gap in the closet doors and saw him weep and sob over and over again. Once he had let go of Hanako's corpse and headed out to tell his mother what had happened, I escaped through the window of his own room. Until that moment, I had felt incredible, digging my knife deep into Hanako's feeble and fragile body, but seeing Senpai and his reaction made me…uneasy. On my way home, I was extremely conflicted. I knew that killing Hanako would eventually upset Senpai anyway, but I never intended for him to see her body…and especially not in that state. Senpai had seen something he never should have.

And while I got away unnoticed, knowing that one day I'd have to tell Senpai that I was the one behind that murder… well, it's definitely not comforting.

Currently, I'm in a café, leaning back against my seat and taking everything in. For the second time, I'm meeting up with Info-chan face-to-face so that we can discuss our next plans. We've made sure to meet up at a different café from the one that I tried to kill Hanako in, just to be absolutely safe. This time I'm rather glad that Info-chan is running late; just sitting here and wrapping my head around everything is a great help. When you're in a line of work similar to mine, you desperately need time to just sit down and…think. Nothing special and nothing out of the ordinary. It's just…thinking. Because when you're running around trying to kill anyone that gets in the way of you and your soulmate, it becomes difficult to find the time to unwind and think about things.

Info-chan slowly enters through the front door and immediately spots me. Unlike before, she doesn't have a bright and smug smile on her face, which is completely fine by me. She walks over to my table and sits down, readjusting her glasses a few times. Interestingly enough, she's not wearing makeup or flashy clothes like she was last time; perhaps she didn't have the time to prepare properly.

Or maybe she just wanted to make a good first impression.

"Afternoon," She mutters to me, her voice quieter than usual.

"You're late again."

"Sorry, had some business I had to take care of. How are you holding up, Aishi-chan?"

"I've been worse."

"How did the…job go?"

"Not smoothly." I grumble, lowering my voice as much as I can. "Senpai was there to see the body."

"Oh dear, I didn't think he'd be home. I…miscalculated."

Telling from the expression on her face, she is genuinely shocked by the news. Strange, she hadn't made this kind of slip-up in the plans she provided for me before. They were usually foolproof.

Has she gotten sloppy?

"Anyway, you got out of there safely, right?" She continues her inquiry after a few moments of silence.

"Yes."

"Good."

"So what did you call me here for? Surely you must have something new you want to tell me."

"Yeah…it's some…interesting news."

"Good or bad?"

"It's…well, it can be seen as both."

"Well come on then, what is it?"

Info-chan shuffles around slightly in her chair before responding, her tone sounding incredibly unsure and anxious.

"I think I know what happened to you in that factory where Megami held you."

"You mean…my sudden abilities?"

"Yes."

Finally, I've been waiting a while for an answer to that question. It's been bothering me ever since that day that I had suddenly gained so much power, knowing how and why that happened is definitely some good news.

"Well?" I ask the nervous Info-chan with hungry eyes, impatient. "Spit it out."

"It wasn't you, Aishi-chan. You weren't the reason that you become so…supernatural."

"Then what was it?"

"According to some of my research, Megami's…um…'gang' has been developing a new steroid for quite some time now. I've heard whispers of it and it's most likely the reason why you became what you did."

"A steroid…?"

"A super steroid, basically."

"But why would one of the scientists inject that into me?"

"That's what I've been stuck on myself. The only explanation is that someone ordered the scientist to give that steroid to you if you were captured by Megami."

"You weren't that person?"

Gradually, Info-chan begins to smile again, shaking her head at me.

"As much as I'd love to take the credit, no."

"So someone else planned it."

Info-chan took off her glasses and stared at me with her crimson red eyes, leaning onto the table between us and heaving a heavy sigh.

"That's what I wanted to tell you. Someone we don't know gave you that steroid to give you those unnatural abilities. There's someone out there in the shadows helping you. Whether or not that's good or bad news, well, that's up to you to decide."

I say nothing and watch as Info-chan gets out of her chair and walks off, neither of us needing to say a proper goodbye.

Megami has that serum, that strange liquid that can basically turn someone into an absolute killing machine, and someone arranged for me to get that steroid into my system. On one hand, it's good to know that there's some kind of supporter out there trying to help out, but on the other hand…this means something very bad.

If it's Megami's men who made that super steroid, that means that Megami herself owns them. If she's actually crazy enough to inject some of that experimental liquid into herself, I stand absolutely no chance against her. While under the effects of that steroid, I dodged bullets and killed grown men in seconds, and while it was extremely delightful, just knowing that someone else has full access to it…

The tables will definitely turn if I get my hands onto more of that steroid, but the chances of finding out where it's being developed are quite low, and I doubt that even Info-chan will be able to manage something like that.

I exit the café myself and head towards school.

Things are alright for now; I still have a handle on the situation. Megami knows as well as I do that she can't just attack me out of the blue and expect people not to find out and talk. She won't play her best card until the time is right, and the wait during that time is all I have to eliminate The Journalist and make sure that I'm ready. If I can somehow get more of that steroid, then things will definitely be easier, but I need to conjure up a plan if that doesn't happen. Info-chan can still serve as a helpful tool until then, but when I have Megami on her knees, then I won't need her anymore. I won't need anyone anymore, it will be only me and Senpai.

The moment I leave the café, I look in every direction, searching carefully for the outline of The Journalist's car, but my eyes find nothing. Ever since Mother and I properly confronted him, he has been avoiding me, possibly trying not to get on my bad side. And knowing how he's working for Megami, he most likely knows that I've evaded someone like her and has taken that into account. There could be other reasons for why he has been staying away, but I have my guesses.

A five minute walk and I'm near the school gates, it's still early morning and barely any students have entered the building, most of them are hanging outside on their phones. I see the most annoying and strangest thing once again, socialization. They're all just…talking. It comes naturally to them, they don't need to fake anything at all; it's a peculiar thing to see.

"Did you hear about what the Principal posted on the school's website?" A girl with long green hair asked Budo, one of the boys that I already recognized.

"Yeah, it's a weird move." Budo grumbles. "You'd think a grown man like him would think more maturely about this. He's never pulled something like this before."

"Do you think we should tell our parents?"

"And worry them? Nah, I'm not going to. This school is the only place where I can practice my martial arts properly; I can't let anything happen to it."

"It's just…couldn't they have hired actual security guards? The ones we've got here now aren't…um…'professional'."

"Don't worry, they won't hurt any of us if we just act normally, they're only out for the one that the Student Council President thinks is still roaming around."

That conversation between Budo and that green-haired girl makes me feel uneasy.

I listen from a distance, then turn around and stand directly outside the school gates.

The Principal has hired some kind of security guard? I thought that Megami urging everyone to be vigilant was bad enough, but guards prowling around the school causes yet another problem to arise. As far as I know, the Principal has never been the one to make the important decisions, so I know that this is most likely her doing, but what I don't know is why she's making this even more difficult for me. Does she enjoy watching me struggle? Is she trying to buy herself time before I finally reach her? Or is this move for a completely different reason?

Hell if I know.

All I know now is that these security guards either need to be disposed of or carefully avoided. Students are definitely going to talk about this, but they wouldn't dare try to change anything knowing just how wimpy they really are. They are simple pawns, mindless sheep, and they won't get anywhere by themselves.

It's quite a bold move by the Principal or Megami either way, and while unexpected and bothersome, it entertains me to know that people are getting desperate to find and take me down. Whatever, I'll play along with their little game for now and show them that they cannot hope to stop me.

With my schoolbag on my back, I go around the school gates and head inside to the path with the fountain and the pink blossom trees. The wind howls and the pink leaves dance in the breeze as I walk past the fountain and through the entrance of the school building.

And then I get a nice, good look at our brand new 'security guards'.

Teenage girls, perhaps only a year or two older than me, standing in front of the school building in a massive pack. Baseball bats in hand, their mouths covered with bandanas and muscles almost pulsating out of their skin. They stare at each student that enters with hungry looks in their eyes, looking like they're just desperately itching for a fight.

I heave a heavy sigh and feel my schoolbag almost slip off my lowered shoulders.

The school has hired teenage thugs as our new security.

* * *

Ever since Aishi's run at the factory, Info-chan had felt on edge.

Anxiety was gnawing away at her ever since that day. Things had escalated far too much and far too quickly. She hadn't expected for the Student Council President to get involved, and while Aishi had proven that she could hold her own and accomplish incredible feats, that didn't stop worrying her.

Info-chan sat at her computer, the bedroom light's off and the curtains closed. She simply remained there in the darkness, typing away endlessly on the keyboard, doing everything she could. That serum that Aishi had been exposed to…Info-chan needed to find out more about it just in case Aishi decided that she required another dose of it.

But more importantly, Info-chan wanted to find out who hired one of the scientists to give Aishi that serum.

A mysterious supporter or fan of Aishi's work. It bothered Info-chan that there was someone else out there that was trying to help just like she was, Info-chan wanted to be the only one that could seem useful. All she wanted was a name, just one, and she could move forward and think properly.

The first thing Info-chan had done was recalling every single student at Akademi High and research everything about them. Perhaps one of the students had caught on that Aishi was doing this kind of work and wanted to support her, but Info-chan had come up empty-handed. There wasn't anyone that properly met the criteria. No matter how hard she searched, none of the students at the high school seemed as though they were able of doing such a thing.

Maybe Info-chan could've searched deeper just to be absolutely certain that their mysterious supporter wasn't in Akademi High, but with most of Info-chan's contacts and connections given away for protection, that wasn't an option anymore.

Info-chan had been making progress though. While she had lost all the connections she used to have, that didn't mean she couldn't simply just make more. It would take time, but eventually she would have all the information available she wanted once more.

What bothered Info-chan was what that strange agency was currently doing with her connections. If it was to track down Aishi and research her, then things would definitely be dangerous and risky, but at the same time Info-chan couldn't do a single thing about _that_. She had willingly given away all of her connections to that agency, and now they could choose to do whatever they wanted with them.

Info-chan took in a deep breath to calm herself. There was no point in overthinking things, she needed to remain calm and think this through properly. What she needed to do now was to observe how things would go and see if she could contribute any more information to Aishi when she required it.

Silently, Info-chan shut down the computer entirely and closed her eyes, leaning back carefully in her chair.

Her curiosity over the intriguing creature known as Aishi was what got her into this, but now she was deeper into it than she had ever imagined. Unlike before when Aishi was only doing small murders here and there, Info-chan knew that she couldn't be dragged down with her and that she could get away scott-free, but that wasn't the case anymore. If something was to happen to Aishi, then Info-chan wouldn't be all that safe even if she ran away. Even then, running wasn't an option.

The door handle of the entrance to Info-chan's room suddenly began to turn, and Info-chan's train of thought came to an immediate halt as someone stepped inside.

Info-chan's father.

He had dark circles under his eyes and a slouched moving position. With a sigh, he took off his brown coat and threw it across the room, frustration and anger in his eyes.

"I can't take this anymore."

"You have to," Info-chan responded quietly to her father, getting up and turning the room's lights on. She started at her exhausted parent and shook her head. "This isn't something you can handle. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of this."

"You know I can't stay out of it. My life has been a complete misery and taking that fool down will finally bring peace back to my mind."

"Or get you killed. Do as I say."

She didn't care much for her father, but at the same time it irritated her when he would try to bite off more than he could chew. For so long, her father wanted revenge on one person who had completely destroyed his career, and she would've let him try to pull it off, but she knew all too well that he was messing with the wrong people and would simply get killed in the process. And for a while, she was able to get this fact into his head, but now it seemed he couldn't be contained anymore. Once more, he was trying to take on people that could kill him in a heartbeat.

"I'm begging you, just help me." Info-chan's father muttered, sitting next to her with his head lowered. "With your help, I can finally do something."

"You've seen for yourself what those two are capable of," Info-chan countered without hesitation. "You should know by now that you'll just be killed."

"Then I'll finally have peace in my heart. I can't keep living like this."

"I won't help you, that's final."

Her father grunted and stood up, grabbing his coat and throwing it back on. His expression was grim and emotionless, yet she could feel the disappointment he had in her now. He moved over to the door and glanced back one to his daughter, to look at her one last time.

"I thought my own daughter would help me on this."

"You thought wrong."

Then the door slammed shut and Info-chan was alone again.

Her father wouldn't listen to her. He was going to throw everything he could to the ones he hated and would risk dying and leaving her all alone in this world just to get his revenge. She shook her head and turned her computer back on, trying to not think of the fact that she had just looked at her father for the very last time.

The Journalist had left her.

* * *

School moved by quite quickly today.

However, things definitely felt different. The 'Delinquents', as people had come to call them by, were all around the school, both inside and out. They prowled through the corridors and even hung around the bathrooms, looking out for anyone they had permission to beat up. From what I heard from whispers around the school, three students had already been beat with fists and baseball bats for suspicion of being the 'infamous killer' that's at our school. Most students here don't believe in the rumours that there's a killer roaming our school, but being that exact person, I've been on edge for a while now.

The Delinquents are both boys and girls, and they both pack some serious damage to those who cross them. While I _am_ in the martial arts club, I would prefer not to deal with them unless I absolutely have to. The talk around school about the Delinquents have that most of them have dropped out of school for various reasons and already have a record of seriously violent acts. These teenagers are used to fighting and violence, and are also completely addicted to it.

Mindless muscleheads, people that shouldn't be a problem since they don't have any brains to work with. Evading them is my best choice no matter what perspective you look at it from. They're aimless and only want to hurt people for their own entertainment, they aren't professional security guards, which surprisingly seems like good news instead of bad. If these are the people that the school had hired to watch out for suspicious people, then my life has simply been made a whole lot easier to be honest.

As the final bell rings, I'm the first person to pack my things up and leave the classroom. That bell is liberating, letting me know that the agony of being at class is finally over. All I need to do now is head over to my after school activity and then I can head home and treasure my stored pictures of Senpai.

Unfortunately, Senpai is no longer at school himself, but that's to be expected. According to Info-chan, she had wired one of the Councillor's phones and overheard a conversation about him. His mother called and told the school that he wouldn't in school for at least a couple of weeks. In a normal situation, Senpai wouldn't need to go to school for quite some time, but since the finals are slowly closing in, he cannot afford to stay at home forever. It's unfortunate that I can't see him at school, but that's fine, I still travel to his house every day and record nice little videos of him weeping in bed. It's been a while since I last saw him cry, but it's still absolutely adorable.

With everything packed and ready, I head upstairs and straight to the room where the martial arts club is located.

It's been a couple of sessions that I've been there now, and while it's bothersome to have to work and practice around other people, I cannot deny that the lessons haven't been helpful in their own ways.

The moment I enter the room, I see students training hard.

Budo is standing there in front of them, barking out tips and lines of motivation.

Currently, I'm one of the lower ranked students at the club. It's not because of my skill, according to Budo, but just the fact that I haven't been around longer than the others. The club took a long break when Hanako, one of their best members, was 'unfortunately' killed. It's quite nice not to have that fool around anymore, and while Senpai might be upset over it, she'll soon just be a thing of the past to everyone. Hell, she's already that to most people. That's the thing with people, they might seem heartbroken but in the end the only person they really care about is just themselves.

I get into the uniform for the martial arts club and step onto one of the mats.

Every time I'm here, I'm constantly reminded of the time when I sparred personally against Hanako. The time when she told me that she saw my eyes glowing. That still makes no sense to me. It's true that some supernatural things happened to my body before, but that was under the influence of Megami's prototype serum, and I'm certain that I wasn't injected with any of that stuff before sparring with Hanako.

I cannot think of any other explanation other than it just being a part of Hanako's imagination. That would also explain why no one else saw what she did.

The session goes on for a few hours. I spar with both normal students and Budo himself and learn some strange 'techniques' from the lesson. Doing martial arts makes you look quite foolish if you ask me, but the kind of things that I've been learning can still can in handy if I get into a pinch without a weapon. So far, I've gotten pretty fond of an ordinary kitchen knife, but I need to be preparing for normal hand-to-hand combat as well. You never know.

After a couple more hours of simple practice, Budo dismisses us and says that we've all done a great job.

I change back into my normal school uniform and head out of the school building.

I've got the rest of the day off and I can do whatever I want. I could go home and check up on Mother and Father, you know, see how they are doing.

But no, that doesn't interest me. Today has been quite a slow day and I feel like I deserve to treat myself a little bit. And you know what? I think I've got the perfect idea of a nice treat.

It's time to have another little check-up on Senpai and capture some more wonderful pictures of him.

* * *

I'm on Senpai's street, ready to climb up one of the fences and take some pictures of him in his room.

But something does not feel right.

The wind flows through my hair and I feel a small chill crawl up my back.

There is no real reason for me to feel as though something is not right. I got over to this street without any trouble and there's no one in sight. No cars and no people walking across this street. The coast is completely clear.

This chilling feeling is a gut instinct. I just feel as though I'm being watched.

Instead of advancing towards one of the fences as usual, I find myself walking backwards, away from the house. Something is not right, I have to trust my gut and move away for now, this feeling of danger is not settling.

And confirmed my suspicions, I notice a car in the distance, simply parked at the end of the road and pointed directly at me. It's a red car, old model, but I already know exactly who's sitting inside of it. He may have changed his car but there's only one person I know that would be watching me like this.

The Journalist. He's come back for a round two.

He's real enemy is Mother, but it makes sense that he would come after me first to anger my parents. It took him a while to lick his wounds and try to fight me once more, however, I feel willing to accept this with open arms. He's been a pain in my neck for far too long, and killing him will definitely send the right message to Megami.

Once I've noticed the vehicle, the engine vrooms and sparks into life, and the driver quickly turns the car the other way and drives off.

But I'm not letting him drive away this time.

I immediately drop my schoolbag and begin to run, moving as fast as my feet can possibly manage, and I enter one of the alleys.

I know I can't hope to keep up with a moving car, but that's the thing, I don't have to. A car of that size has to stick to the main roads no matter what, but I can just cut through those corners and turns by running straight through these alleys.

Now, if this was any other street, I would've lost my way through all these alleyways and the Journalist would've escaped me without trouble.

Too bad that we're on Senpai's street. I've mapped this entire place out in my mind.

Leaping over bags of garbage and taking sharp turns to the left and the right, I rush through the alleys that pass right through the main roads and search carefully for the Journalist's distinctive red car.

As I exit one of the longer alleys and reach one of the roads, I catch a quick glimpse of his car. He's driving a slow 4x4, making this even easier for me. He stops momentarily at one of the traffic lights, but moves forward before I can reach the car. Thankfully, I'm close enough to watch him back a left, and I know exactly where he's heading.

One of the main hospitals of the city, he's headed over there. It was closed a few weeks ago because of certain violations of proper equipment, but it's meant to open back up in a few weeks. Makes sense that he would choose somewhere like that to hide, who would search for their enemy at an empty hospital?

All I have to do is pass through one more alleyway before reaching the rear of the hospital.

I'm already here, right on his tail. Without any vehicle, I've cornered him into a building where there are no witnesses around.

Funny, it was too easy. It's almost as though he _wanted_ me to chase him here and-

And…

Oh.

Oh dear.

It's obvious to me now. This is exactly what he wanted.

He deliberately drove slowly and led me over here. He knew I wouldn't be able to resist following him. I've barely broken a sweat to chase after him, he wanted to be caught here.

There are no witnesses to see me kill him…

But that also means there are no witnesses to see him kill _me._

A gunshot wizzes through the air and hits one of the walls next to me. I yelp and fall backwards, staring at the hole in the wall.

He's got a gun.

Instinctively, I begin to run. I completely ignore the 'no entry' sign in front of the hospital and dart over to the entrance.

I step inside complete darkness. There aren't any lights on. I feel like slapping myself. Why should there be any lights here? It's been vacant for at least a month, of course there won't be any electricity in here.

The sound of the doors opening echoes behind me and I hear quick footsteps. He's following me in here.

Light flashes sharply behind me and reflects off the walls. I run quickly through one of the dark corridors and stare at the light when it gets close, it's a circle shape. The Journalist is using a flashlight to locate me, to give chase. He's been planning this. It's highly likely that he's already memorizing the interior of this building so that he can try to corner me.

I can't hope to stand against a grown man with a gun in his hand. Even in this darkness, I can't hope to rush him either. I could try, but I don't like my chances against a person with a gun.

My foot hits something solid and I fall over. Tracing over it with my hands, I feel the outlines of stairs. Upstairs. That's where I can go.

Using whatever light is coming from the Journalist's distant flashlight, I hurry up the stairs and immediately throw myself into one of the rooms. I can't see the door so I cannot close in behind me. Instead, I crouch low and stay as silent as I can.

The light coming directly from the Journalist's flashlight beams close and I realize that he's moving towards this room first. Did he know where I was going to hide?

No, that's not possible. And either way, I have to stay away from him and figure out a method of escape or a way to kill him.

With all of my effort, I move quietly while also dodging the flashlights constantly-seeking light.

Waiting to see what the Journalist will do next, I find myself thinking deeply about what's going on, and the entire weight of this situation finally hits me.

I'm stuck in an empty hospital, sitting in the darkness, with a grown man who possesses a firearm. My heart gradually begins to race and I feel something cold get caught quickly in my throat. It starts to sting and my eyes eventually begin to water up.

 _Am I going to die here?_

I place my left hand over my mouth as I realize that I'm breathing and panting too loudly. This feeling…fear…it's coming back to me after so long. Such a rare emotion for someone like me to feel.

And I don't enjoy it.

The Journalist himself enters the room and I back away slowly, hoping that he won't see me, but instead my back hits a fake skeleton in the corner of the room and alerts him of my presence. The flashlight shines right into my face, and while I can't see, my first and only instinct is to run. More sounds of gunshots ring and echo around me, but I don't feel any sensation of pain. I haven't been shot, he can't aim properly in this darkness, even if he's got that flashlight to help him.

I exit the room from the other door and begin dashing through the hallways again, hearing the Journalist's heavy footsteps right behind me. There's no mistaking it, he's faster and more agile than me.

Sliding across the slippery floor, I make a sharp right and enter another room, with light in it coming from the outside. Finally, a room where I can actually see.

The Journalist enters the room immediately after me and I duck under the table in between us, and I hear the sound of the gun going off several times, but all of the shots simply ricochet off the table. He starts to circle it and I look around for anything to protect myself with.

A medical knife is the first piece of equipment to catch my eye and I grab it off the table and hear the Journalist fire a few more times with his firearm. I glare at the knife in my hands, it's smaller, skinner, and almost completely useless compared to the kitchen knives I've found myself becoming so fond of. But…it'll do.

Three more gunshots echo throughout the room before a long pause of silence occurs, with the faint sound of the Journalist reloading his weapon letting me know that this is my window of opportunity. I raise my head and stop hiding behind the table, instead sliding across it and trying to stab the Journalist. He sees me coming and, out of shock, drops his pistol before he can finish reloading. However, with both of his hands free now, he grabs my wrist and stops the knife halfway. We both begin to struggle and I do everything I can to get out of his tight grip, but he's more focused on reaching down for his weapon. I see the pistol too, but the Journalist has both of my wrists in his grasp. The Journalist's face gets incredibly close to mine and he growls out in frustration.

Wait…the Journalist is a man, right?

I raise my right foot and swing it directly into the Journalist's private parts, watching as he cries out angrily in pain and drops to his knees. With his grip finally loose, I throw him backwards and grab his gun, holding the heavy thing in both of my hands. It truly feels like I've never held something like this before, even though that's not true.

Instinctively, I point it right at the Journalist and pull the trigger several times, but nothing happens at all.

The gun isn't loaded. I was so glad to have his weapon that I completely forgot that he was trying to reload it.

I feel an incredible amount of pain as the Journalist throws himself forward and smashes his head into my stomach. I gasp for air and feel my grip on the pistol loosen until it flies out of my hand and lands on the ground again. Before I can get to my feet and try to grab the weapon again, the Journalist punches me twice in the face and tosses me aside. Spitting out blood and feeling my face burn out with pain, I cough and wheeze pathetically as he simply walks over to the gun and picks it up. Knowing that I can't stop him from reloading that weapon in time, I instead scramble to my feet and dash desperately towards the door, slamming the door right behind me.

But that door immediately opens up and the Journalist leaps out, and as I turn around and see him point the gun at me, I realize that even running isn't going to help.

"Go with God," The Journalist whispers quietly as he fires his weapon.

The gunshot rings through my ears and I feel an excruciating pain pierce through my left arm. My scream is so loud that it almost deafens me, and I slow down my running speed to hug my injured arm and screech out. Nothing hurts more than being shot, it's absolute agony.

The Journalist curses out as he notices himself that he only hit my arm, he gets his gun ready to fire again but I quickly swerve myself around a corner and break our line of sight.

In the precious few seconds before the Journalist gains his sights on me again, I throw myself into the last room at the end of the hallway and pant heavily. This pain in my arm is unbelievably painful, there has to be some kind of painkiller around here.

But instead of properly assessing the situation or actually trying to find some painkillers in the room I'm hiding in, I'm sitting there-shaking and shivering like a coward. This has really opened my eyes to just how ordinary and vulnerable I am without Megami's little serum, I can die at any moment, and this might be the last place I'll ever be. Just the thought of dying here and never having my happy ending with Senpai is terrifying, and my hands are shaking too fast for me to grab or use anything around me. I simply remain in the darkness and pray at these next few moments won't be my last. I hug myself and sit under the small, confined space under the room's sink, slowly cradling myself in hopes of calming down. I'm not.

Thunder rumbles furiously outside, the Journalist's slow footsteps gradually close in to the room I'm in, and my teeth begin to chatter.

In an instant, the Journalist enters the room and closes the door behind him, and I hear the ominous sounds of the door being locked. With a proud and arrogant voice, the Journalist stands there and holds his pistol casually in his left hand. He knows I can no longer run, he knows that there's no escape from this room except the one he just locked. He's memorized every room and their structure for just this moment, this is all part of a plan he's spent God knows how long trying to conjure up. Through the faint light emitting from his flashlight, I stare at him and hope that the light won't be directed at me.

"There's no place to run anymore," The Journalist mutters, slowly walking around the room, looking as confident as anyone could ever be in this kind of situation. "No one is here to hear you scream, to watch you die. I will eliminate you for your sins, and then your mother will be next. All of your kind will be eradicated."

I don't respond. I don't dare to. I'm just sitting down silently, praying that he'll just leave the room and spare me.

"Did you like my little set-up? I've spent months upon months for this. I knew this hospital would close down at one point or another, and I managed to get my hands on the blueprints of the entire building. All of that so I could make sure there was no place to run. You don't understand how long I've waited for this. To see a Yandere be…vulnerable."

His deep and grim voice echoes through the room and seeps gradually into my mind. My throat is burning up and my arm won't stop bleeding, tears dance of my cheek and onto my huddled knees.

"Your kind took everything from me, and now…" He chuckled dryly, directed the bright light of his flashlight into my eyes and darted forward. Blinded and weak, I cannot resist in the least as he grabs me by the neck and smashes me into the cold floor. "I'm going to take everything from you."

With every ounce of strength I have left to muster, I try to push him off and keep kicking the hand he's holding the gun with. He groans and growls at my kicks, but doesn't let go of me and presses my head so hard against the floor that I feel like it's simply going to crack in half. The Journalist is on top of me, trying to move his firing arm into position, but I keep kicking him and pushing him back, almost to the point where he's gotten off. Still, his arms and legs are naturally stronger and he refuses to let go. I'm pinned to the ground.

In a final attempt to make me weak, the Journalist uses his free hand to press his index and middle finger onto the bleeding wound on my left arm, squeezing violently onto where I had just been shot. I scream and cry out, my voice cracking and my vision becoming blurry, and all I can hear now is his laughter. His proud and pleased laughter. While I'm screeching out of absolute agony, the Journalist uses the opportunity to pin me down on the floor harder with his other hand. Once I've gritted my teeth and regained some of concentration, I realize that it's already over.

It feels like time has stood still.

Something cold is pressed against my forehead. It's the muzzle of the pistol, right where the bullet comes out of. With the barrel directed right between my eyes, the Journalist slowly moves his finger towards the trigger. I watch silently as it all happens before my very eyes. The sound of a single click, the pistol being reloaded, chimes to announce that the gun is about to claim its next victim. The last thing I can stare at before it's all over is the Journalist's blue, hungry eyes. He grins and does it. The final deed. He pushes his finger over the trigger.

One last sound reaches my ears and rings, the sound so loud that it finally deafens me.

 **The sound of the final gunshot.**


	19. No 18: Just The Beginning

The gunshot.

The final gunshot.

It rang in my ears and chimed throughout the empty hospital, I am sure I heard it.

Yet, I'm still alive.

Gradually, I begin to open my eyes and stare at the Journalist, who just had a gun pointed to my head just seconds ago. He's staring at me with a blank expression, not saying anything at all. With a quick push, I throw him off and crawl away, my heart pounded mercilessly in my chest.

The Journalist slowly starts getting to his feet, and once he does, he pulls away the first part of his brown coat and stares at his shirt inside. A small stain of blood expands and soaks through the fabric of the shirt, and the Journalist puts his hand over it in vain, thinking he can stop the bleeding.

"Oh," is all he can mutter before collapsing to the ground and going limp.

I glare at the Journalist's corpse and remain still, waiting for him to get back up and try to kill me again, but nothing happens. What just happened? A gunshot went off and I was supposed to die, why did he die instead?

"A close call, wouldn't you say?"

I immediately jump to my feet and look for the person who just spoke. The voice sounded deep but not nearly as deep as the Journalist's.

"Who's there?" I question, stepping through the darkness aimlessly.

"Woah there, slow down. You still look a little shaken, you might want to just sit down for a moment." The voice whispers, sounding genuinely worried about me. For a second, I think it's my father speaking, but that thought is immediately thrown out the window. He doesn't sound even close to this person.

I can't see who's talking to me, but he's definitely in the same room as me. The voice is from a man, probably only a little older than me, it sounds more like a teenager's voice than a grown man's. Is it someone from Akademi High?

"Who are you?"

I hear footsteps coming from the person, getting fainter and fainter. He's backing away, he doesn't want to be seen.

He must be using the fact that there aren't any lights here as an advantage. He knows I cannot see him.

"I'm…a sponsor."

"A sponsor?"

"That's right, just like your little tool, Info-chan."

"You know about her?"

"Yes, and I also know a lot about you too."

"Then you have to die."

"Slow down, Aishi. I'm not here to turn you in."

I don't buy it.

"If you know about my affiliation with Info-chan, then you cannot be allowed to live."

"Oh come on, is this any way to say thank you for my help?"

"Your help?"

"At Megami's little torture room? I thought you'd remember."

That causes me to stop talking.

Info-chan had talked about this, she told me that someone was helping me back when I was kidnapped by Megami. If it wasn't for that person's help, I would've never escaped.

"You were one of the scientists in that room?"

"No, but I bribed one of them and told them to inject you with Shikyuki's 'special steroid' whenever the opportunity presented itself to him." The voice explains, sounding happy to finally reveal that he was the one who helped. "Don't I get a thank you for that?"

"I don't thank people."

"Well that's a shame. Either way, it looks like I came here at the nick of time, huh?"

I glance down at the Journalist's corpse again and understand what just happened. The Journalist was about to kill me but someone fired before him, it was this 'sponsor' of mine. To think I had come so close to death…it sends a chilling sensation up my spine. Whoever this person is, he could have simply watched me die, but he chose not to. The vibe that's emitting from him, it feels incredibly similar. I take a few careful steps forward but still cannot see him in the darkness. And while I want to take another step towards him, seeing how he keeps moving backwards when I advance, I'm guessing he really doesn't want to be seen by me.

Fine. That's alright.

"Look, your help back with Megami was great, but I don't need another sponsor. I've got plenty to get the job done."

"What, you mean Info-chan? Well, it's true that she has more experience and seems loyal enough, but don't doubt my words when I say that I am _far_ more resourceful than her."

"I can't just mindlessly accept a stranger's offer."

"I know, which is why I am not asking you to. All I'm saying is…think about it."

"Sure,"

"Good," The guy chuckles, the sound of him putting away his weapon calming me. I hear his footsteps slowly move away and the door that the Journalist had locked being opened. "Then I'll talk to you later, happy hunting."

The moment I hear that stranger leave the room, and presumably, the hospital I can finally breathe normally again.

This is unexpected news and the kind of situation that I'm not sure whether to be happy about or not. A sponsor means another tool at my disposal, and this one did save my life twice now, but at the same time this means that person was somehow aware of what I was doing in order to become a 'fan'. I've tried to be discreet, I've tried to hide and cover up my tracks the best I can, but it seems that someone knows about the real me anyway. This could be because of Info-chan telling others, but I don't think she'd risk her partnership with me just to have a little gossip about.

It doesn't matter. I'm still alive. I should keep my focus on that right now.

I stare down at the bullet wound in my left arm. It used to be absolutely excruciating, but with all that had happened I had completely forgotten about it. And now that I've remembered that I've been shot, all of that unbearable pain comes flushing back. I grab my arm and groan, it really does hurt like hell.

Still, as I slowly begin to walk and make my way to the exit of the abandoned hospital, my mind wanders onto and focuses on the silver lining. Yes, I nearly died. Yes, I've been shot. But, if there's any good that has come of this, the Journalist is no longer a problem for me. With that man roaming around I couldn't hope to properly spy on people or do anything drastic at school, but with him finally out the picture that all seems like it's about to change. His elimination feels satisfying. Like scratching an itch you've been feeling for an incredibly long time. Things didn't go as planned, and the Journalist _did_ technically hunt _me_ down, but one way or another I am the victor. And since I wasn't actually the one that killed him, I shouldn't have any worries about cleaning up the mess.

I step out of the empty hospital and enter the dark alleyways in which I reached this location from. I know my way home, but what I'm bothered about now is that both Mother and Father are going to see this blood-drenched arm and freak out, and I am in no mood of explaining things to them after almost being killed. What I need right now is a warm shower and a cuddle with my Senpai shrine.

By instinct, I stick to the alleys and make sure that no one sees me. I'm still in my school uniform and my arm has been shot, people on the streets will only take half a second before they start to ask questions. If I am caught, they'll probably take me to a police station. And while I can just play the 'innocent schoolgirl that got attacked' act in a heartbeat, I have no energy. I'll just make my way home and figure out the rest from there.

My teeth are gritted as the piercing pain in my arm is driving me insane. A painkiller would be wonderful right now.

The direction of the breeze shifts and I glance back at the distant hospital one last time before setting off.

Good riddance.

* * *

Info-chan entered her house through the back door.

All of the lights were off and darkness loomed the interior. Info-chan moved around and turned on every light individually. She had gone out into the streets for several hours, scanning and prowling around the suburbs and subways, talking to people and paying them to be her eyes and ears. Thanks to her deal from earlier, she had protection, but she had become hungry for her former influence on everyone. And little by little, she was gaining all of that back.

Yet, Info-chan felt uneasy.

She should've felt pleased, knowing that she was making more contacts and connections with people all over Japan, but she couldn't. Something was gnawing away at the back of her mind and she couldn't focus on anything else except for one thing.

The Journalist.

She had warned him not to interfere with either Aishi or her mother…but he hadn't listened. He was so obsessed with eliminating the phenomenon of Yanderes that he wouldn't settle until he had dealt with them. Info-chan didn't have the heart to tell him that she had been working with one of them for a while now, but perhaps she should've.

Info-chan reached her living room and turned the lights on, resting down on the sofa and switching the television on. It was already on a news channel, Info-chan rarely changed the channel to anything else. The news reporter tonight was a young, beautiful woman speaking with a large smile on her face. Info-chan listened as the reporter talked about a peace deal between two rivalling countries and the development of solar panels for renewable energy. With a bored expression, Info-chan sighed at the TV. She hated it whenever the news only had good things to talk about, it was incredibly dull to her, she only watched the news channel to hear about more…destructive occurrences.

Then, whilst in the middle of explaining some political matters, the reporter suddenly paused and pressed a finger on her earpiece, someone was telling her something. The reporter nodded a few times then looked back at the camera, her delighted smile no longer present on her face. Now, she looked grim. She cleared her throat and began talking about a completely different subject. Info-chan listened well.

"Um," The reporter stuttered, seeming slighter disturbed. "We have just receiving breaking news. It seems that the authorities have just found a dead man at the Monozaki hospital. From what we know so far, the man seems to have been shot in the chest."

Info-chan's bored expression gradually melted away and she began to listen more carefully, hanging onto each word that slowly came out of the reporter's mouth.

"The hospital has been closed down for quite some time now, so we aren't sure how or why that man was present there. He hasn't been identified yet, but from the description we received, he's a man in his forties, wearing a brown coat and was in the possession of a 9mm compact, 15-shot, polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol. More details are on the way, please stay tuned."

With a shaking hand, Info-chan grabbed the remote and turned off the television.

A cold drop of sweat dripped down her cheek. She sat there, silent and completely stunned.

That description fit her father perfectly. The Journalist was dead.

Info-chan got off the sofa and placed both of her hands over her mouth. She felt as though she was going to throw up, everything was blurry and spinning to her. She struggled to stand properly and her breathing had become irregular. It was like someone had thrown the strongest punch possible into her stomach, and she was desperately gasping and panting. She had told that fool. She had told him so many times not to play with fire, that it wouldn't result in anything except him burning, but he just couldn't listen. No matter how hard Info-chan tried to show the Journalist that he would be killed, he allowed it to happen anyway, and now Info-chan had no family left.

There was a bubbling, burning feeling in her body and she knew that something had happened to herself, she absolutely despised Aishi.

She didn't want to hate her own partner, but losing a family member had changed all that. It was obvious to her that the Journalist would target Aishi first, and Aishi hadn't exactly shown hesitation for killing someone in the past, the only suspect in her mind was her now. Her partner through all of this had just killed her father tonight.

But, in an instant, Info-chan felt herself pause.

No, Aishi couldn't have been the one to kill the Journalist. The reporter on the news channel had explicitly stated the Journalist had been killed by a gunshot in the chest. If there was one thing that Aishi always kept careful, it was to not ever use guns. It was true that Aishi had used guns in the past, sure, but to use one on a man that would be found dead just minutes later didn't seem like Aishi at all. Info-chan felt hesitation. Did her partner _really_ kill the Journalist. It still made sense that Aishi would be the one to do it, but now Info-chan had plenty of doubt in her mind too, something just didn't seem right about the situation. It was as though Info-chan was missing something important, something she had completely overlooked until now.

The sound of a telephone ringing chimed inside Info-chan's ears.

She moved to the table where the telephone was rested and picked it up, holding it against her ear but not saying a word. She didn't usually receive calls from the home's telephone.

There was a solid ten seconds of silence as Info-chan waited for someone to talk. Eventually, the person on the other end of the line began to speak, sounding amused.

"Evening, Info-chan."

Info-chan didn't say anything.

"Sorry to disturb you at this late hour." The person on the phone slowly continued. It was the voice of a male, definitely young. "Just wanted to give my condolences, it's hard to lose a family member. Don't worry, he didn't suffer."

"Who are you?" Info-chan finally spoke, her voice cracking and sounding incredibly feeble. It wasn't at all how Info-chan usually sounded. "How'd you get this number?"

"Slow down. One question at a time. You're wondering how I got this number? I have connections, just like you."

"You didn't answer the other question. _Who the hell are you_?"

"I'm…your replacement. I'm Aishi's new sponsor."

"Aishi doesn't have sponsors."

"She does now. And I've been a lot of help to her, that infamous serum of Megami can't be stolen by anyone, you know."

Info-chan gasped.

She had been spending weeks trying to find out just who had helped Aishi back at the factory, and now that exact person was talking to her on the phone. Anger began to bubble up inside, this person was the only one who had the potential of replacing Info-chan, and she didn't like that fact one bit. Her life had always felt incredibly dull until she started working for Aishi, she couldn't imagine that suddenly being taken away from her by some amateur.

"You'd best stay away from her," Info-chan hissed into the phone, her rage sizzling inside of her body. "And how do you know about my father's death?"

"Simple. I'm the one that killed him." The man on the phone chuckled back, casual and uncaring.

By complete instinct, Info-chan pulled the phone away from her ear and threw it across the room, watching silently as it collided against a wall and broke down into pieces. She stumbled backwards and found her sense of balance by leaning on a chair behind her.

A man, a fool, that was driven to completely replace Info-chan had also eliminated the Journalist and had taken everything away from her. Her hands clenched into fists.

All this time she had believed that the Journalist didn't really mean much to her. He had always been so distant and cold, never explaining the reason behind her, and Info-chan had naturally drifted away from him. They lived in the same house and he still took care of her in his own ways, but she had never seen him as a proper father. With these facts that Info-chan herself was aware of, she was certain that his death would mean nothing to her.

Yet, the tears rolling slowly down her cheeks said otherwise.

Even if he was a failure for a father, even if he didn't pay attention to her, even if they were both incredibly distant from each other, Info-chan was still mourning his death. She never loved him, but they were always family by blood, and she could never change that fact.

There was no doubt in her mind now. Everything seemed clear to her. She grabbed a tissue box on the kitchen table and quickly wiped away her tears, then waited to see if a second wave of them would come. They didn't.

While Info-chan was aware that this 'sponsor' had helped Aishi, that didn't matter to her now. It didn't even matter that this sponsor posed a threat to Info-chan's position as Aishi's tool. That wasn't on her mind at all now. No, she wanted to track down the person who killed the Journalist no matter what the consequences would be. She didn't even care anymore if Aishi herself caught wind of Info-chan's rash actions. That person, that murderer, had to pay.

Info-chan took her mobile phone out of her pocket and went into her contacts, scanning every last contact she had saved onto the device.

It was time to make some calls.

* * *

"Stay still."

I growl and hiss as the thread punctures my skin for the last time and closes up my wound.

The moment I arrived home Mother saw the bullet wound I had received and took me into the kitchen to take the bullet out. It took several hours of agony, even with the painkillers Mother handed over, but it's finally over now. I lean back in my chair and pant heavily while Mother uses a tissue to wipe away any blood still left on my arm. At first, I was surprised that Mother knew how to do something as delicate as removing a bullet out of an arm, but now it's not all that surprising at all. Mother is far more experienced than me, she's a professional.

"So, what happened?" Mother finally asks me. She didn't ask me when I came in because stitching me up was the priority, but now she wants answers.

"The Journalist chased me down. He got close to killing me."

"Did you kill him?"

"No, but an ally did."

"An ally? Is it that red-haired girl that broke into our house once?"

"No, I don't know who he is, I didn't get to see his face."

Mother carefully wraps a bandage around my arm and makes sure that it's tight enough to not come loose any time soon.

"Where's the Journalist's body?"

"I was in a bad situation, I couldn't bring it with me."

"A shame," Mother sighs genuinely, as though a guilty pleasure of hers has been taken away from her. "I always wanted to be the one to kill him. Oh well."

Mother and I both get out of our seats and I start to head upstairs. There's no time to do anything right now, the most I can manage is to get to my bed and just pass out.

And the moment my head hits the pillow, lights out.

When I awake, the sunlight forcing its rays through my curtains momentarily blind me. With a yawn, I get up and look at my bandage. It has a red tint to it, letting me know that there's still a little bleeding, but overall I feel much better than I did before.

I slide on my clothes and head to school.

You know, that incident from last time has given me a lot to think about. Before all of this, before my mission to get to Senpai's heart, I was always a very careful and cautious person. When I would watch normal people and their behaviors, it would be after I was completely sure that I wouldn't be caught. However, recently, I've realize that my strategy has been changing. If I found out that there was someone between me and Senpai, I would try to kill them as soon as possible, even in the most reckless ways. But, now that I've had plenty of time to think about it, I think I need to change things around a little.

As results of my recklessness, I've been kidnapped, attacked by a grown man with a gun, and even tortured. It's opened my eyes to how obvious I'm making myself. Students are already spreading rumors around the school that a serial killer might be on the move, and while very few people actually believe it, there's no doubt in my mind that I cannot allow this to continue. No, what I need is a change of plans.

I'm well aware that Senpai might find his own crush or more girls might fall for his incredible beauty, so I'll have to be vigilant. But, at the same time, I'll have to make sure that they are disposed of without any trouble.

Spotting the school gates, I head straight on through.

The Delinquents are still around and in full force. They check everyone's schoolbag and pat them down from head-to-toe. And while many of the students are obviously uncomfortable with it, no one dares to protest. It's no surprise. The Delinquents aren't average looking teenagers, they all definitely seem like they can pummel normal students to an absolute pulp. Once my turn is finally done and I'm allowed into the school building, I immediately throw my schoolbag into my locker and head upstairs.

It's time to follow through with my plan. Mission: 'Thorough Investigation' begins now.

What exactly is this mission? Well, I've realized recently just how much I hate being surprised. When I found out that Kokona had a crush on Senpai out of nowhere, things didn't really go smoothly and I lost my cool. That cannot happen anymore. Instead of having new competitors for Senpai's heart just appear out of nowhere is no longer an option, I need to have a full search of every last piece of information in this school myself and spot the rats crawling around. This isn't something I can ask Info-chan to do, either, I have to do this with my own abilities.

Now then, let's check every last scrap of knowledge I can dig out from Akademi High. If anyone is even _thinking_ the wrong way about Senpai, I will know about it first and plan how to deal with them.

The first thing I do is head straight to the Counselor's office.

The Counselor of Akademi High is young and kind towards students, so people are ready to feel comfortable around her. She takes around twenty minutes after the first bell of school rings before she actually enters the building, she's almost always late, so I have plenty of time to skim around stuff in her office.

I walk down the corridor and look over my shoulder for any potential witnesses around, there's no one. Everyone is downstairs talking before class, they won't get in my way.

I open up the two doors to the office and slide on in. Instinctively, I quickly check my surroundings first. The office is quite small but has a light blue-coloured interior for a sense of calmness, and the Counselor's desk has a growing plant on it. It's very obvious that this office was built with the sole purpose of emitting the most soothing vibe possible for the students.

Pathetic. It shows just how feeble and wimpy other people are, requiring a conversation with someone else just to keep themselves on an even balance.

Making sure that the doors are closed, I move myself towards a silver cabinet in the corner of the room. The top two drawers are completely locked, but the third one opens with just a simple tug. I glance inside. There's a bunch of brown folders, quite a lot of them. I skim through the name tags attached to the top of the folders and skim carefully through the alphabet. The one I'm looking for is T for Taro. Taro Yamada…a perfect and elegant name for him…but I personally prefer Senpai.

The moment I reach his name tag I slip the folder out of the cabinet and begin looking through it. I need to know everything that the Counselor knows about him. Who knows, perhaps even the Counselor herself is beginning to get a little too comfortable around my Senpai.

It first starts with all of his information. Things like his full name, address, past life, and whatnot. That's all dandy but not helpful, I've studied thoroughly through information about my one and only Senpai plenty of times before, none of this is any news to me. I skip a few pages forward and reach a couple of journal entries. I read the one with the most recent date on it, he was here with the Counselor just four days ago.

* * *

'Mr. Yamada came in to see me today. It was a surprise, he hasn't showed up to my office for some time now, especially since Mei Mio's sudden death. And, of course, his sister's death. Ever since then, he always seems rather uncomfortable around me. When he speaks of his problems, he tells me that he feels nervous at times. He's told me several times that he has the worrying feeling that someone is watching him, he's even had thoughts of suicide, it's a clear sign of paranoia. The young boy isn't comfortable at school, it's normal to see him believe something like that. I asked him if he has anything that can help him relax and let go of his anxiety, and surprisingly enough he told me that he enjoys spending time with the school's nurse. Interesting.'

* * *

The page goes on but I stop right there.

What? A nurse?

Not once have I ever been to the nurse, but I sure as hell don't like the fact that Senpai is getting cozy around that woman.

I slide the folder back into the cabinet and make my way out of the Counselor's office.

That was rather helpful, if not incredibly annoying. I cannot blame Senpai, oh no. He _does_ belong to me, but he doesn't know that yet, it's natural for him to think that other girls can have him.

But other women won't be able to lay a single finger on him. Now that I know that I need to check up more about our school's nurse and make sure that she's not a threat, Senpai is once again under my protection.

Senpai's just confused right now, he doesn't realize or understand what is best for him. I am what is best for him. I can love him better than anyone else on this planet, and one day Senpai will come to see that fact for his own eyes. Until then, I will push any other person out of the picture for his own good.

I make my way back downstairs and wait for the bell to ring.

If my sense of time is correct, ten minutes should have passed while I was in that office. By now, almost all of the staff should at least be in the school building. That is convenient for me. I'll head over to the nurse's office and have a good look at our nurse for myself, it's a necessity considering that I don't even know what this woman looks like. She has to at least be a grown woman, and since she's working at this place, perhaps I can find a way to make sure that the nurse is no longer allowed to stay here anymore. Rumors aren't all that difficult to spread, and even if myths moving around aren't enough, I'm sure I can compromise the nurse in some other way. One way or another, if Senpai feels like he's getting close to her, then that woman needs to go.

I wait by the locker room, leaning back on my own locker and simply waiting for the bell to ring and to start our first lesson of the day. Other students are huddled around and chatting, but that tomfoolery is not for me.

Actually, that reminds me…

At times like these, I would watch Senpai from afar and gaze upon his beauty, but I don't see him at all. I've looked through the windows and out to the pink blossom trees outside of the school building, but he's not there either. Did he take the day off?

 _It was at that moment that I felt like fate was toying with me._

Without any warning, I feel a light tap on my right shoulder. A hand.

I glance to my right and see who it is, expecting some ordinary student wanting to bother me with something, but that's not the case at all.

My heartbeat halts in its path, my mouth hangs open, my eyes widen up, my hands slowly start to shake as I'm only inches away from someone.

The person has a light and shy smile, as though unsure of themselves and worried. They take one step forward and brush their black hair out of their eyes. I'm almost certain that I'm going to collapse. This has never happened before.

"Um, are you Aishi? I'd like to talk to you, if that's alright?" Senpai mutters timidly at me.


	20. No 19: Take My Hand And Suffer

At this point, I've trained myself to be prepared for practically _anything._

But this? Oh no, this was not something I could have ever seen coming.

I stand as frozen as a statue in front of Senpai, feeling my body's temperature almost explode. Can he see how red my face is? Oh god, what if he doesn't like my face? What if he doesn't like me? What if-?!

"Um," Senpai muttered, looking confused. "Sorry, have I got the wrong person?"

My mouth feels like it's been taped shut, but I force something, anything, to actually come out.

"N-No…I'm…A-Ayano…Aishi…"

My voice is cracked and high-pitched, my throat feels like it's burning and my heart is racing like it never has before.

Senpai is talking to me. Senpai is actually paying attention to me.

Senpai has noticed me!

…something about that previous sentence feels wrong, it feels almost as though it's something people have said a hundred times before…

No, it must be my imagination.

Senpai looks happy about my confirmation and smiles one of the most beautiful and incredible smiles, the kind that no human being on this planet has had the blessing of witnessing.

"Great!" He chuckles, reaching into his pocket and holding out a green leaflet. "Here, this is for you."

I gradually take the leaflet out of Senpai's flawlessly-shaped hand and hold it out in front of me. It's some kind of invitation to a…cooking club…?

"We don't have that many people in our club right now…" Senpai explains, looking a little bashful. "If you or one of your friends could join…that would be wonderful."

No, you're the only wonderful thing here.

Senpai gives a nod and walks off to give others more leaflets.

So, after the incident of Mei Mio from the gardening club, Senpai has finally joined another club? Interesting.

While I should be focusing on that, most of my focus is still on the fact that Senpai actually just talked to me. My heart was fluttering and I was warm all over. I don't care what the reason was, he talked to me and that's all that matters.

I giggle and make my way to class.

Once class is over, I immediately begin to read the leaflet again. It says that the cooking club will be open today and that it'll be on the middle floor in the newly-constructed kitchen of the school. If it's a club with Senpai in it, then there's no way that I won't be attending it, I can watch my Senpai even more without raising any suspicion.

I'm aware of the fact that you cannot be in two clubs at the same time, however, but I already quit the martial arts club just a few days ago. It's simply not interesting to me anymore, and I've always found a simple knife to get the job done much quicker than any martial arts move has ever done. Besides, I've learnt enough for now. The cooking club is the next club I'll join, I'm certain of that now. I know that I'm not good at cooking. In fact, I've never cooked in my life, but perhaps if I become better at it in front of Senpai, he'll be impressed.

Just the image of Senpai and I cooking together makes me weak in the knees as I stumble down the corridors. A few girls notice me and snicker, causing me to snap out of it. Those wonderful visions will come to be very soon, school is almost over and I'm ridiculously excited about it. Before I actually attend the club and everything, first I want to inspect the area so I head towards the club room and check the doors. They're unlocked so I simply walk inside.

The unpleasant smell of fresh paint hits me hard as I step inside, this place has only just been finished. Equipment like saucers, bowls, spoons, and other kitchen accessories are scattered across the tables and sinks in a disorganized fashion. Also in the room is another girl, standing there quietly with a paper in her hand, scribbling on it over and over in a frantic manner.

"Oh," She said as she notices me. "Sorry, are you here for the club? We're not open until after school."

"No, I'm just looking around."

"I see. Well, are you interested in joining?"

"I think so."

Having conversations with normal people feels weird. There are many different things to be careful about and you have to make sure that your voice has emotion, which my voice usually lacks. I just try my best to sound like an ordinary girl.

I glance carefully at the girl in charge of the Cooking club. She's tall, though only a little taller than me, and she has dark brown hair in a ponytail. She has a soft and gentle gaze and an outfit on that looks strangely similar to a…maid costume or something.

"What's your name?" she asks.

"Ayano Aishi." I answer back slowly, still looking around the entire kitchen. There's nothing too interesting about the place, only Senpai will liven this place up. "Thanks for letting me see the kitchen."

"No problem." She smiles back.

I leave the kitchen and go to my next class, waiting desperately for school to finally end.

When the school bell finally rings, it's feels like breathing in air after a thousand years. I've suffered through this boring school for so long just to be with Senpai, but sometimes it just drives me insane.

Immediately, students begin pouring out of the school building. Now that school's over, I can use my phone, so I take it out and read my notifications. Apparently, no missed calls from Info-chan today. That's slightly unusual, I typically get at least seven missed calls from her when I'm at school, but it seems like she's gone…quiet. I can't really tell when it had started, but recently she's had less contact with me and doesn't stalk my movements like she used to. Has she gotten bored of my mission? She said she was helping me because she was interested, if that's no longer the case then I might not receive any aid anymore…

But, now that I think about it, I _did_ have another sponsor…right? A mysterious man who both saved me back at the Student Council President's torture area, but also back when the Journalist almost killed me. I hate to associate myself with someone that I barely know, but if Info-chan remains quiet like she is, then I'll have to consider changing my 'sponsor'.

I shake my head and try to think of other, more important subjects, like the fact that I'm about to go cook with Senpai.

The moment I spot a small drop of drool sneaking its way out of my mouth, I wipe it away and check if anyone noticed. Thankfully, that doesn't seem like the case. While most students leave through the front door, I head back to the stairs and quickly make my way to the kitchen.

Right outside the Cooking club room, the Cooking Club President is standing by the door and writing everyone's name down. I stare at the line, it's not too long but I'm annoyed about it regardless. I only came here to sign up because cooking with Senpai would be like Christmas to me, everyone else is simply a distraction as far as I see it.

I wait in line, and once I finally reach the door, I take a piece of paper from the Cooking Club President and write my name on it.

I enter the kitchen and everyone is already at a working station, except one right in the left corner. I glare at the spot and slowly go to stand next to it. It's a shame that we aren't in pairs, but hopefully we can still eat each other's cooking. If there's one thing I really want to do, it's impress him and watch him enjoy something I've made for him. And…if I could eat something he made…that would basically be a birthday present.

The young Cooking Club President waits until everyone stops talking and quiets down before she begins her introduction.

"Hello, fellow students, and welcome to the Cooking club!" She cheers with a bright smile on her face. She's far too…'upbeat' and I'm annoyed by it. "As you know, we're going to do our best to cook some appetizing dishes!"

One student with the central working station raises her hand. She has dark skin but incredibly blonde hair. It's almost as though she's bleached it. She definitely looks…off.

"Excuse me, President?" she asks.

"Yes?"

"What will we be making first?"

"Ah," The Cooking Club President grins with excitement. "The first thing we're going to learn to make is pizza. How does that sound?"

The students in the classroom look pretty pleased and eager to start cooking. It makes sense that we'd start with something like pizza. It's quick to make and it'll set a beginner's difficulty for the club. Personally, I'm glad that we're going with something simple for now, as I have no experience whatsoever but I most definitely do not want to show it to Senpai. As far as he knows, I'm the perfect girl for everything.

The Cooking Club President goes around and hands us all one chunk of dough to use at our working stations. I stare at the gooey dough and await further instructions.

"Now, before anything else, I want you to spread out this dough into the best circle you can manage. Remember, the more of a circle it looks like, the better!" The President exclaims and sits down, observing every student.

Spread the dough? That shouldn't be too difficult.

I glance across the room and look at Senpai again. He's already taken the dough and he's rolling it out as casually as possible. I don't want to be left behind, I have to impress him.

I grab the wooden, cylinder tool on my station and use it to press down the dough and spread. It doesn't look like a perfect circle, admittedly, but it will suffice for a normal pizza.

Time goes on and the Cooking Club President hands out more ingredients for us to use, such as tomato paste and shredded cheese, while acting all friendly and supportive of everyone. Even to the point where this girl with blue hair had completely burnt her pizza in the oven and had made a huge mess all over the floor, but the Cooking Club President simply dismissed it and tried to stay positive.

"It's okay, Miyu." The Cooking Club President reassures. It's surprising that she remembers everyone's name. "Just start over, alright?"

But none of that actually matters to me at the moment. What I've been noticing so far is how close that damned President is getting to Senpai. She isn't snuggling up next to him or anything, but she keeps going to _his_ working station and talks with him way longer than she does with all of the other students. From this corner, I cannot properly hear what the two are saying to each other, but the way she keeps laughing at Senpai's words and even pats him on the back is making me shake.

Oh, and there's just _so_ many knives in this kitchen. I could just take one and force it right into the Cooking Club President's stomach, it would teach her to keep her distance from Senpai.

Now it all makes sense to me, why Senpai would ever choose to join a club like this one. I've been following him almost every day, I even have a full journal filled to the brim with anything you could possibly know about Senpai, and I know for a fact that he's never even had the slightest interest in cooking. My instincts haven't failed me before, I'm certain that I know Senpai's reason now. He must've joined because the Cooking Club President is fond of him.

First I find out that the nurse might be getting a little too friendly with my Senpai, and now I have to watch as Senpai and the creator of the Cooking Club get all friendly with each other. I understand that Senpai is so incredible that other females will be drawn to him like a magnet, but I am the only one for him and anyone else needs to be disposed of.

Once everyone's food is finally cooked, all of the students head to the centre table in the middle of the room and place their pizzas down on little trays. I place mine at the very edge and stare at everyone's attempts. None of them look professional, per say, but only a few students, like the blue-haired girl, actually failed terribly at their work. If you ask me, most of them are at least decent.

I watch happily as Senpai places his pizza down too. It may _look_ like an ordinary pizza, but to me it's a food I must eat. To have something that Senpai made in be in my stomach…that would be incredible.

The Cooking Club President stands at the front and smiles. "Okay, everyone! Have a bite and be your own critics!"

Immediately, the students begin cutting out slices of other pizzas and start eating. Of course, none of the pizzas on the table interest me except for Senpai's, but I wait carefully and observe the other students. I don't want anyone seeing me eat Senpai's cooking, they might catch on about something, especially Senpai himself. I wait patiently until Senpai turns the other way before moving over to his pizza and quickly grabbing a chunk with my bare head instead of cutting it out.

It immediately goes into my mouth and I grin with satisfaction. As mad as I may be about the Cooking Club President, I'm so glad that I'm able to eat something that Senpai made with his own two, perfectly-shaped hands.

After all of the eating is done, the Cooking Club President thanks everyone for attending and dismisses us all.

The moment I leave the room I make my way to the girl's bathroom and lock myself into one of the stalls.

This club has taught me a lot. I haven't met the nurse of Akademi High yet, but I've seen the Cooking Club President with my own eyes and I can tell that she's interested in Senpai. There's no other explanation that I can think of, and since that's the case, I most definitely need to get rid of her before anything else.

I slide my phone out of my pocket and ring Info-chan's number, which is still the number '0' for some reason. There's no way that her actual number, that sneaky snake must have done something to my phone for this to be.

Even though Info-chan hasn't called me in a while, the moment I hear the first ring, Info-chan picks up and I hear her speak incredibly quietly.

"Hello, Aishi." she mutters.

"Info-chan. The Cooking Club President of Akademi High, what's her name?"

"Wow, not even a hello, huh?" Info-chan sounds disappointed.

"Just answer."

"Give me a second."

Info-chan stops speaking and I hear the sounds of typing in the background.

She'd better make this quick.

* * *

Info-chan hadn't been doing much work since the death of the Journalist.

She was still determined to be useful to Aishi and be part of the mission, but it felt like a lot of emotional energy had been drained from her. She tried to sound as natural and normal as possible while on the phone with Aishi, hoping that her partner wouldn't catch on about that fact.

Information about the Cooking Club President of their school was one of the last things that Info-chan expected that she would be asked to find, but she didn't ask any questions and simply did as Aishi asked.

She opened up her computer and immediately accessed one of her more recently constructed databases. There were just lists and lists of names and information just came pouring out, but Info-chan had used this database so many times that it took very little effort for her to find the Cooking Club President's information to give to Aishi.

"Alright," Info-chan began speaking again. "I've got the information."

"Tell me everything."

"Her name is Amai Odayaka. She lives with her father, their parents are divorced, and she makes a lot of money each day with her experience in making food and drinks. She's opened up cookie stands, fruit stands, lemonade stands, you name it."

"Anything important I should know?"

"It doesn't mean like it. She's just a normal-"

Info-chan stopped as the database on her computer showed something else about Amai. It was something that she had previously overlooked by now, it stood out as something that Aishi needed to know no matter what.

"What is it? You were going to say something." Aishi spoke quietly into the phone, sounding impatient.

"Aishi, there's something else you should know. It seems like she and her father are in some serious debt, to the point where they're trying to raise money in any way that they can."

Aishi gave Info-chan a short hum over the line, then hung up on her. Info-chan stared at her phone and wondered if she had served her purposes well enough.

Info-chan lowered her head.

No one was aware of it, but Info-chan had finally regained all of her connections across Japan. Now, she could tell everything that happened within the country, and her first priority was finding out who this other sponsor for Aishi was. Of course, in Aishi's eyes, Info-chan would just be someone waiting quietly and obediently for their next orders, but underneath the seams Info-chan was conducting her own search.

What frustrated Info-chan more was that there was barely anything to go on. Aishi had never seen the man's face, any of the workers at Megami's factory were too busy being dead to be questioned, and none of Info-chan's connections came up with anything worthwhile.

Searches simply came up fruitless, Info-chan's position was being threatened, and the man who killed the Journalist was still out there doing whatever he desired.

Info-chan had no choice. She didn't know if it was going to be a wise decision, she had decided against it many times, but this time there was only one route to take now. If Aishi was to find out about what Info-chan was about to do, then Info-chan could be killed without a second thought from her partner.

Info-chan grabbed her phone and, with just a few presses of a button, found the Aishi household number and rang.

"Hello," Info-chan whispered hesitantly as they picked up. "I'd like to talk to you privately, Ryoba Aishi."

* * *

So, that girl's name is Amai, huh?

As annoying as Info-chan may be at times, she does have her uses. Knowing about Amai and her little problem with debt is most definitely useful.

Now, at this point, I would rush right back into that cooking room and stab Amai with the closet weapon I can find, but things are different now. As much as I would love to strangle her after she chose to stick so closely to Senpai, I have to be discreet or someone will expose me, and with all these Delinquents roaming around the school building I can guess that it won't take long for someone to catch me. I _could_ subdue Amai and just kill her at home…but Mother might object to that, blood is very difficult to get off carpets. In fact, it's basically impossible.

But with this extra information about the Cooking Club President, I've conjured a completely different mode of getting her out of the way between Senpai and I. It's so simple that I wonder why I haven't attempted it before.

Once there's no one left on the floor where the Cooking Club room is, I re-enter the kitchen and see Amai inside, packing up her stuff and cleaning the little messes made by the students on the floor.

"Oh," Amai says as she notices me at the door, giving off her 'gentle, big sister' aura, but I'm not fooled by it. "Why, hello again. Did you forget something here?"

"No. I wanted to talk to you."

"To me? What is it?"

"I've heard from talk around school that you're having problems with a family debt, isn't that right?"

Amai's eyes widen and she subconsciously drops the bag she was packing into. I watch as her left hand shakes involuntarily and the colour drains from her face.

"N-No one…is supposed to know about that…" She whispers, sounding as though she's on the brink of crying.

And up goes the façade. I place a soft, amiable smile on my face and walk forward to carefully put both of my hands on her shoulders. She looks at me through the tears in her eyes and I speak quietly to her.

"It's okay, Amai. I won't tell anyone. I just came her because I want to help you."

Amai looks up at me and whimpers. "R-Really?"

"Yes."

I grin and clench my hands into fists behind my back, holding back every single urge to kill and torture her and tilt my head to the side like an ordinary schoolgirl. She looks at me with hope and I pretend to be the guardian angel that she's been desperately looking for all this time. She doesn't have any idea what I'll do to her.

" **I'm here to help."**


	21. Author's Note 1

A/N

Hello, hello!

 **Note** : This is just an author's note. It is not important and you do not have to read this. Reading this author's note is _completely_ optional.

Firstly, thank you for the reviews! It's always great to know what you think and receive feedback from each chapter. Rest assured, I have also read the constructive criticism that I've been sent and I just want to say thank you for that and that I'm constantly thinking about your feedback when writing the next chapter!

Secondly, you may notice more and more typos here and there in the next couple of chapters. That is because my beta reader has taken a holiday trip to China, so unfortunately I cannot have a second person checking through each chapter and ensuring that typos are fixed. Sorry about that! Just please try to endure it for now!

Thirdly, I'd just like to establish how the structure of future chapters will turn out. After gaining feedback about it and talking about it with my beta reader, I've decided to change things slightly. The essential stuff will not be changed. Senpai is Aishi's goal and all of the rivals standing in her way must be eliminated one way or another.

But what will be changed is the methods. As dedicated Yandere Simulator fans are aware, the game is constantly being updated with new features that build the world.

To make this story feel as, well, 'genuine' as possible, _all_ of these features will be shown during this story during one point or another. I promise. If you have seen a cool, new feature in Yandere Simulator that hasn't appeared in this story, it's because I'm waiting to use it when it makes sense to the plot. I will do my best to bring in every feature to make this as 'Yandere' as possible without driving the plot in a different direction.

Finally, I'd just like to thank you again for reading. I know I've said this plenty of times, but it's just not enough for me.

Just knowing that _you_ read this story puts a smile on my face everyday, and making chapters is fun for me because of _you_. It's because of _you_ that this story is what it is. So, thank you.

And I'll keep doing my best for you, to the very end!

Thank you so much,

 **Zacaro**


	22. No 20: The Perfect Hostage

Sunlight beams down through the small gaps made by the pink leaves on the trees.

I sit there on the soft grass, my back leaned against my schoolbag. The wind is very calm today, the breeze is just barely touching my skin. With all that's been happening recently, there hasn't been enough time to relax, but it helps me appreciate days like these more. The atmosphere around Akademi High is laid-back and relaxed today, and that's just how I like it.

My heartbeat is slow and my body isn't tense like it normally is. This is nice, to be honest. When killing was the only thing on my mind, there wasn't a single second when I thought that maybe relaxation could help. But now, I feel much better and all of the murders I've committed are just…fond memories now.

That makes me wonder…is that the same with all people? Are serial killers able to relax like I can? Do their actions keep them up at night?

Not to me. I could kill hundreds more girls and still be able to relax like this. I suppose that's just a perk for being me.

Of course, sitting here in the garden of Akademi High isn't _just_ to remain here and relax.

I look across at the lane of pink blossom trees and watch Senpai slowly sit down at the farthest one from the school building. He makes himself comfortable and then pulls out a book to read. He's looking as incredible as always, there's no doubt about that. It looks like he came to school in a hurry today, considering how it looks like he didn't brush his hair, but the shaggy look suits him too.

Scratch that. Everything suits him.

It's such a shame. These past few weeks have been nothing but killing people who stand in my way while trying not to die myself, but here Senpai is, living each day like nothing has ever happened. Of course, he was pulled into my mission several times, both when I killed Mei Mio and then later when I did the same thing to his little sister. In my defence, neither of those times were intentional. Yes, I _did_ kill both those girls, but that doesn't mean I wanted to upset Senpai the way I did. As I watch him read one of his favourite books, I can definitely say that he's readjusting, so that's nice.

I gradually get back to my feet and swing my schoolbag onto my back.

It was wonderful to admire Senpai's beauty again and relax myself, but that cannot last forever. Right now, I'm still on a mission, and it cannot wait any longer.

Moving as fast as I can, I enter the school building and toss my bag into my locker. Thanks to Amai's desperation, she had spilled all the beans for me, believing that I'm planning on helping her with it. Her father's debt is apparently a very serious issue with them and it's the reason why Amai became the Cooking Club President in the first place, she thought she could make money from her talent. Her talent, of course, being cooking and baking.

Her father had messed up in gambling debts and had taken too many loans from a certain company. If I was her, I'd just walk into that building and kill them all. To be specific, the Ronshaku Loans. Just a few minutes ago, I sent a text to Info-chan, asking her to tell me more about that company. If it has anything shady about it that I can use for blackmail, or if I can find a way to get Amai the money that she needs, then this problem can be solved in no time.

I glance over to my phone, nothing.

It seems that Info-chan has been busy these past few days herself. She still talks to me and gives me the help I require, but there are multiple pauses of silence every now and then. My instincts tell me that she's probably busy doing acceptable.

There are many different kinds of plans in my mind, but none of them can be taken into action until I know more about the Ronshaku company. For now, all I can do is wait for Info-chan's text and hope that it'll have something useful for me.

I feel my phone vibrate. Without hesitation, I pull it out of my pocket and look at the screen. The text is short but I find myself staring at it for a very long time.

' _There's a girl in Akademi High called Musume Ronshaku. You know what to do.'_

There's an attachment to the text message. I press my finger on it and watch as it opens up. It displays a blurry picture of this so called 'Musume'. The quality isn't that great, but it's enough to see her well. She seems to have dark skin and bleached yellow hair at the same time. How interesting. This girl isn't a new face to me, I've most definitely seen her before. I believe it was in the Cooking Club itself.

Oh dear me. A company dedicated to squeezing money out of their clients are stupid enough to leave their family member right here at school? That's the problem with most people, they just aren't careful.

I put the phone away and take in a deep breath. My other option is to find some way to get Amai the money she needs, but I have no idea how I'm supposed to do something like that. I've never had any need for money, so earning it has never exactly been my expertise. But, thinking about this from another point of view…there's something I _am_ good at and would also be an efficient method.

Yes. It's all coming together now. If I can play out a different kind of plan for this, Musume will no longer be a nuisance to Amai, and then Amai will no longer be a nuisance to me.

I crack my knuckles and giggle as I stride down the corridor. I've got the perfect plan for such a predicament.

Let's get to work.

* * *

Anxiety was something very rare for Info-chan to feel. Which only confused her as she had been feeling it the entire day.

Her search for the murderer of the Journalist hadn't come to an end yet. The eyes and ears across Japan could only give so much information, but none of them helped her get any closer to finding the mystery man. Her only option was Ryoba Aishi. That woman knew the Journalist better than anyone, if anyone knew who killed him, it would be her.

So, Info-chan had called Ryoba Aishi and requested for them to meet. She didn't expect it to work, but Ryoba had accepted without even the slightest sign of hesitation. And now, Info-chan was in a taxi on her way to the Aishi household.

She fiddled around nervously with her fingers, sitting in the back of the car. Why did Ryoba cause Info-chan to feel so unnerved? She barely knew anything about the woman. Perhaps it was because their previous encounter hadn't been too pleasant. Ryoba had found Info-chan snooping around the house and tied her up, so it was obvious that Ryoba wouldn't be too trusting now that the two of them were meeting up again. But Info-chan wasn't visiting that house again to make up for anything, all she wanted was more information, the kind of information that could take her one step closer to the person who killed the Journalist. More than anything, Info-chan needed that to finally have some sort of closure.

The taxi slowed down near the house and Info-chan stared out the window. This was it.

She handed her fee to the taxi driver and stepped out. The car drove off and Info-chan was alone, standing silently in front of Ryoba Aishi's home. There was no point of standing around like an idiot, so Info-chan sucked it up and moved over to the door.

She pressed the doorbell once and waited outside while rubbing her two hands together. The weather was starting to get rather cold.

The door opened and Ryoba greeted Info-chan with a soft smile when they saw each other.

"Hello," Ryoba spoke gently, holding the door open for Info-chan. "Why don't you come in?"

"Thanks."

Info-chan stepped inside and saw a middle-aged man standing in the middle of the corridor. Ryoba glanced at the man and waved her hand at him.

"Honey, I'm going to have a private chat with this girl. Go upstairs and close the doors."

The man said nothing and nodded obediently. He went upstairs as instructed and Info-chan immediately understood who the man was. It was Ryoba's husband. He looked so weak and fragile…

And afraid.

Info-chan followed Ryoba to the living room, both of them sitting down on two sofas opposite each other. The moment Info-chan sat down, she felt the softness of the chair sink in, but at the same time she couldn't find herself relaxing. Before sitting down, Ryoba looked at Info-chan and grinned.

"Would you care for coffee or tea?"

"No thanks," Info-chan muttered. "I'm fine."

Ryoba nodded understandingly and sat down as well. The two sofas were rested beside an artificial fireplace. Info-chan expected the heat to not reach here, but it did and helped her shake out the chilly feeling she was experiencing. She looked over to Ryoba's staring eyes and cleared her throat.

"So, Miss Aishi." Info-chan started.

"No, no." Ryoba interrupted, laughing. "Please, just call me by my first name."

"Okay," Info-chan nodded. "Ryoba, I came here because I need to know more about the Journalist."

Info-chan expected some sort of reaction to display itself on Ryoba's face when she mentioned that name, perhaps a disgusted expression or something, but Ryoba simply shrugged and her facial expression did not shift.

"You think I'd know information about him?"

"I'm aware of your rivalry." Info-chan explained with a serious tone. "I know that he tried many times to stop you."

"Stop me from doing what?" Ryoba answered back as innocently as possible.

"To stop your killings."

Ryoba lowered her head for a few moments and said nothing. The silence caused Info-chan to think that she shouldn't have said what she knew, but in the end Ryoba raised her head again and giggled happily.

"My, oh my. I knew that you were resourceful, but I didn't think you knew _this_ much. It must be why my daughter chose you as a helping hand."

"So, you _do_ know things about the Journalist?"

Ryoba nodded slowly. "He was hunting me. I did what I could to find out everything about him."

"Did he have any enemies?"

"Besides me?"

"Yes."

Ryoba frowned. "That's a strange question to ask, young girl."

"Please, I need to know."

"Why?"

"It's just…important to me."

"That's not a good enough explanation. You're not offering me anything for this information, the least you can do is tell me why."

This is what Info-chan had been afraid of. There was no doubt that asking such questions would cause suspicion, but at the same time Info-chan couldn't tell Ryoba that she was the daughter of the Journalist. The Journalist and Ryoba had been sworn enemies for years, if Ryoba had suddenly found out that the daughter of that man was sitting right in front of her…

But Info-chan had no choice. She was going to have to risk being killed on the spot.

"Because I'm his daughter." Info-chan finally answered.

Ryoba didn't flinch. "Is that so?"

"Yes…"

"I see."

Info-chan took in a deep breath. "Will you kill me?"

That caused Ryoba to frown in confusion.

"Why would I kill you?"

"Because I'm the Journalist's daughter?"

"Nonsense. I'm not going to kill you for that."

"Oh."

Ryoba leaned forward and her dark eyes glared right into Info-chan's.

"If you try to get in between me and my husband, _then_ we would have a problem."

"R-Right…"

"Anyway," Ryoba sighed, going back to the main conversation. "All I know is that he had taken way too many loans here and there to buy the kind of equipment to kill me. He also started working for some rich girl, so that's something I guess."

"That rich girl's name is Megami." Info-chan noted.

"Fascinating." Ryoba spoke with sarcasm before looking directly at Info-chan. "Are you trying to find out who killed him?"

"Yes."

"It _could_ be my daughter, you know. The two of them butted heads several times."

Info-chan shook her head. "No, I had a few of my contacts look into it. The gun didn't have Ayano's fingerprints on it."

"You've been busy,"

"Yes, I have."

"Then why not just figure out the murderer from the prints?"

"Because I searched all of the police department's databases. The fingerprints don't match anyone."

"That means that your murderer is quite careful." Ryoba comments, smiling with amusement.

"Indeed." Info-chan grumbled. "He called me, though."

"On the phone?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"That he was going to replace me as Ayano's source of information."

"Oh my," Ryoba laughs. "You've got some competition."

Info-chan lowered her head. "Ryoba, I need to find him."

Ryoba folded her arms and smiled. "You're really new to these kinds of things, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, you haven't even considered the easiest option."

"The easiest option?"

"Yes. Info-chan, it's so simple. When you cannot find someone who is careful, the solution is child's play."

"I don't get it…what?"

Ryoba leant back in her chair and giggled. "Allow them to come to _you._ "

"What makes you think he wants to come into contact with me? He's done his best to make sure I don't find him."

"Indeed, but at the same time he talked to you. He wants to meet you, but on his terms. At least, that's how it looks like to me."

"So how do I make him come to me?"

"Well, if he wants to talk to you, let him think you're not expecting it. Go to a café or something, make sure it's obvious you're alone, and pretend you're just casually walking out. Maybe pretend you're going out for a girl's night or something, and he'll come to you."

"He won't even know where I am."

"Please." Ryoba snorted confidently. "Someone careful enough to erase his information from a police database is smart enough to spy on you. That's probably why he called you without hesitation. He _knew_ you were alone."

"You're saying he's been watching me this whole time?"

"That's just my guess, but yes."

Info-chan thought about it for a moment.

Leaving herself open and defenceless just made her a sitting duck for whoever might have wanted to kill her. It sounded like a ridiculous and reckless plan, but hearing it come from someone like Ryoba, that made it completely different. Info-chan knew better than anyone that Ryoba was more experienced than she could have ever imagined. Ryoba was the one who tricked an entire country after all. If there was anyone that knew what to do in a situation like this, it would be her.

Info-chan nodded politely to Ryoba, it was obvious that she wasn't going to get more information here.

"Thanks," Info-chan muttered. "I should get going now."

"Would you like me to call you a cab?"

"It's alright. I want to make a few stops before I go home."

Ryoba walked towards the door and opened it up for Info-chan. "Have a safe trip."

"Thank you."

Info-chan left the house and walked over to the pavement.

The weather outside had somehow gotten even colder and the sky was getting dark. It was time to go home.

The entire time she was walking, Info-chan's thoughts were buzzing in her head painfully as she tried to make sense of everything. Someone out there had killed the Journalist and now threatened to replace her, but why was she going around every day trying to find this person? It didn't make sense. Info-chan had joined herself with a secret government organization for protection, if they found out that Info-chan was prowling the streets and making new contacts again, that would probably raise some suspicion.

She was working hard and risking her own safety just to bring down someone she didn't know. What was the urge that was driving her? Revenge? Info-chan had no idea, she hadn't expected to care this much about someone she barely spoke to. But whatever it was, whatever her reason was to do reckless things like these, there was no point resisting it. No matter how dangerous her actions were, her instincts were telling her to keep going until the end.

Her train of thoughts were interrupted as her phone began ringing.

Info-chan checked the number. It was Ayano's. That caused Info-chan to smile, it wasn't every day when someone like her would call.

Info-chan answered. "What do you need?"

"A car." Ayano answered right back.

"Alright, you want an escort?"

"Yes."

"What time and when?"

"Today, 3:00pm."

"You've got it."

"I'll also need a case, human-sized."

"Sure, it'll be in front of the school building."

Ayano pauses on the other end of the line. "Also, I'm going to need some towels and something that cleans stains well."

"Why's that?"

Ayano's voice sounded ominous and chilling.

"Because I'm about to do something messy."

* * *

Everything's going just as I envisioned it.

This is perfect. The perfect plan. I don't need to kill anyone, and Amai will keep her filthy hands off my Senpai, how did I not think of this before?

Since yesterday, I've been keeping a close eye on Musume Ronshaku. She hangs out with a lot of the more…'popular' girls and doesn't seem to have much alone time at school. That's a little annoying, but that's fine since there's one place I can use to snatch her away for my plan.

Swimming class.

During swimming class, all of the girls have to get changed on one room. And from what I've seen, Musume takes the longest to change out of everyone. She's one of those people who take years to get ready just because they want to look 'perfect'. It's foolish, but that gives me an advantage. I have never gone to swimming class as it bores me and us girls have to swim at separate times from the guys, so I cannot see Senpai in his swimming trunks either. If Senpai's not there, there really isn't much of a point.

But now that I need to take away Musume for the first part of the plan, it looks like I'll have to attend swimming class just this once.

The second bell rings. It's time.

We have Sports class now and I know that _this_ time, skipping it is not an option. I get out of my chair and leave the classroom. All this time I was sitting in there while the teacher babbled on and on about biology. It's unthinkable that people out there think this kind of education is necessary, it is simply a waste of time for everyone, teachers and students alike.

The girls make their way upstairs and to the changing room at the very right of the school building. The pool is small and there are a lot of us, so there's no doubt that things are going to get cramped.

We all enter the changing room at the same time and the chatting only increases in volume. I glare silently as girls laugh and giggle like fools, changing their clothes while talking about the most random things like what haircut looks best on a male celebrity. The entire room is filled with their voices and I can barely hear myself think. I hate schoolgirls. I hate when they gather together. I hate it when they talk far louder than necessary. If I could, I would shut up every last girl in here so we can have some peace and quiet.

Girls huddle around their lockers and begin changing. Most of them cover themselves in towels while they change, including Musume who is on the other side of the room, but I don't I'll bother with something like that. There's no point.

To fit in and seem like I'm actually getting ready, I take off my clothes and begin changing too. None of the girls next to me look my way or try to strike up conversation, so at least I've got that going for me. If things go smoothly, I _might_ not stab someone out of frustration today.

But first, I have to suffer and wait for every student to get changed and leave before I can do what is needed to Musume. I sit there in a blue swimming suit that I can barely breathe in and wait for the other girls to leave one-by-one.

The problem is, they're all taking their sweet time.

They just stand around, talking about boys and secrets of others. Gossiping about who has a crush on who, whether the girl who's always on the roof has a screw loose, and what kind of lipstick is trending these days. Garbage. All of it. It's absolute agony, sitting here and listen to them go on and on about the most ridiculous and boring things ever. Is that all their heads are filled with? Gossip and boys? Surely not, but it sure as hell seems as though that's the case.

One girl finally leaves. I stare at them and watch as she hands over to the pool outside. Like a mindless herd, after the first girl leaves, gradually all of the others begin leaving too. In the corner of my eye, I watch as a girl with pink hair stands beside Musume and taps her shoulder.

The pink-haired girl smiles happily. "Hey, Ronshaku, are you coming?"

"Just a moment," Musume answers back with an equally bright smile. "I just got to put my lipstick on."

"Lipstick? For the pool? Won't it just come off?"

Musume grins as she holds her pink lipstick up. "Nope, waterproof."

"Wow! That's awesome! Okay, well, we'll be waiting for you!"

"I'll be right there!" Musume cheers back as the pink-haired girl leaves the room and runs to the pool as well.

I smile as Musume faces the other way and uses the window in her locker to apply that lipstick. It's just the two of us now. My heart begins racing and my hands shake slowly as I hide behind the door of my locker, staring at her. This is it, the next part of the plan can finally be put into motion.

Amai and her father have been suffering because of Musume's family, right? And if I can do something about that, then Amai will do whatever I ask her and Senpai won't be in her grasp any longer. The way to do that without any deaths or evidence to leave behind is simple.

Now, to actually start.

I slowly close the door to my locker and move towards the exit to the changing room to make it look like I'm leaving. Musume doesn't bother to look back and assumes that I've left. Good.

Moving slowly and quietly, I walk to the other side of the changing room where she is. My footsteps are slow and silent, and my hands reach out in front of me. She still hasn't turned around. I step close enough until I'm right behind her, my hands now just inches away from her.

"What the-?!" Musume shrieks as she sees me in the reflection of the mirror she was using.

I gasp. I didn't think about the mirror.

Oh well, no stopping now.

Before Musume can turn around and look at me properly, I grab her by the neck and wrap both of my arms around it. Musume mumbles and gasps as she falls to her knees. She struggles and keeps elbowing me, but I do not let go of her neck and slowly begin to squeeze it harder and harder. Musume opens her mouth to try and scream, but instead tries to breathe as her face starts to go red. She knows her priorities, at least.

However, as expected of a spoiled brat, Musume has no strength and is incredibly weak. After just holding her neck for a few more seconds, her body goes limp and her eyes close. I stand back up and wipe away the sweat on my forehead, staring down at the unconscious Musume. I was actually hoping for more of a challenge than that, but I guess I brought my expectations too high. Hanako, now _she_ was a pest that took real effort to squash. In a way, I'm going to miss that.

I glance at my watch. It's already 2:42pm. I told Info-chan to have an escort ready for me at 3:00pm, so I'd better get moving now.

Before picking up the unconscious Musume, I open the door leading back to the school building, the hallway is empty but you can never be too sure. I look back at Musume and grab one of her hands, dragging her across the floor. She's skinny, but surprisingly heavy to pull. We leave the changing room together and I drag across the ground quietly while moving past different classrooms. I hear students talking and laughing inside, and the fear that one of these doors will suddenly open with a student coming out slowly creeps in, but none of the doors open and the hallway remains empty. Good.

We reach the stairs. I glance down. Oh boy, dragging someone down a flight of stairs isn't very safe, is it?

Regardless, I pull Musume down and watch in annoyance as her head smacks against every step. She's definitely going to have a headache when she wakes up.

Once we reach the bottom, I glance down both corridors to the left and the right. There's one girl going to the bathroom. I hold Musume's hand and drag her into the corner of the staircase and watch the girl walk past. I try my best to breathe quietly and not make a sound, and once I'm certain that the girl is gone, I come out of hiding and pull Musume to the entrance of the school. Right where Info-chan promised, there's a black guitar case and some towels. That's all I need. Wonderful.

Lifting Musume from under her arms, I push her into the guitar case and toss in the towels in with her. Closing the case turns out to be a challenge, and I have to press down all of my weight onto it before I finally hear a clicking sound. It's closed up.

I try to lift the case with my left hand, it's just not happening. This is far too heavy. I grab the handle of the guitar case with both hands and gradually lift it off the ground. Honestly, I didn't realize just how heavy someone can actually be.

With the guitar case in hand, I walk slowly towards the school gates and watch as a black car pulls up. The door opens by itself and I stare at the driver, it's a man in a black suit and sunglasses on. This must be my ride. As I reach the door, I lift up the guitar case first and slide it onto the seats before sitting in the car myself. I close the door and the car immediately begins to move. The driver says nothing and neither do I. It's a little interesting, actually. Where does Info-chan get these kind of drivers? Surely, this driver knows that I'm doing something illegal, but he's not asking anything and simply remains silent for the whole trip. Perhaps being a private escort for criminals pays well, or perhaps Info-chan is forcing this guy out of blackmail or debt. Either way, I have no doubt that Info-chan's resourcefulness can serve me well.

I stare out of the window, we've reached our destination.

The driver continues to remain silent and simply waits for me to get out. I open the door and grab the guitar before stepping outside. The moment my feet hit the ground, the door automatically closes behind me and the car drives off. Whoever that man is, he's most definitely not fond of his customers.

I walk over to my house with the case in both hands and knock on the door a few times with my elbow. After a few moments, the door slowly opens and Father's pale face greets me with a timid smile.

"H-h-h-hello…s-s-s-sweetheart." He mumbles at the lowest volume possible.

"Hey, Dad." I answer back, moving past him and taking off my shoes. "Where's Mother?"

Before Father can answer that, Mother exits the kitchen and grins happily at me.

"Welcome back! You're home early, school hasn't ended yet, has it?"

"No, it hasn't." I grumble back, not bothering to smile back. Instead, I lift the guitar case back up and move over to the stairs leading to the basement. "But I've got things to do."

Mother glances over to the case. "Oh, is there someone in there?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, Honey." Mother giggles as she slowly walks back to the kitchen. "Try not to make a mess like last time, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

Without any further delays, I move carefully down the stairs, trying not to fall down. The stairs are steep and ridiculously difficult to walk down, but I eventually reach the bottom. The stale air and dust from the basement hits me hard and I wiggle my nose uncomfortably. This place really needs to be cleaned up more often than it currently is.

I toss the guitar case onto the ground and take a deep breath. The attempt at Musume's kidnapping was a little bit of a bumpy ride, but it's finally over. Now, it's time to go onto the next part.

The last time I had someone in this basement, I had subdued Kokona and then tortured her, day to night. It was mostly out of the frustration that she was developing a crush on Senpai, but I was also able to break her mind and make her an obedient slave. That is what caused Osana's death. But this time, I'm not planning on anything like that.

I open up the guitar case and take out the towels first, putting them on a nearby shelf just to make sure that they're there when I need them. Then, I take a chair from the storage and place it into the middle of the basement. Finally, I pull Musume out of the case and prop her up onto the chair and left go. She's still limp and her head is hanging downwards, but she doesn't fall out of the chair, so that's one thing.

Now then, it's time to pull off the hostage act.

I take my phone out and call the head office of Ronshaku Loans. There are a couple of rings, but the person I was hoping for picks up. The head of the company. He has a deep voice and a slightly foreign accent.

His breathing is heavy as he speaks. "Hello, you're calling the Ronshaku Loans, how can we help you?"

I hold back a laugh as I speak. "Oh, I don't need any help. But…I think _you_ do."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mister Ronshaku, I have your daughter. She's my hostage."

"Bullshit. Who is this?!"

"Bullshit? Oh no, you don't believe me? Hold on, maybe you need some evidence."

Before he can say anything else, I end the call and which to the camera of my phone. Holding it steady, I take a nice, high quality photo of Musume sitting down unconscious in my chair. This will send the correct message.

I send the picture in a text to the number, wait a few seconds for Mister Ronshaku to see it, and then finally call him again. The moment I hit 'call', he answers and his voice sounds incredibly threatening.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, lady. Let my daughter go." I hear him growl.

He doesn't frighten me. "Mister Ronshaku, do you understand the position you're in? You don't have the right to make any demands, _I_ make the demands."

"What the hell do you want?!"

I think about it for a moment. If I tell him to take off the debts on Amai Serju's father, he'll know that they are somehow involved in this. That cannot happen.

"Release _all_ of your clients from debt."

"I can't do that. This entire business will fall to its knees."

"You won't do it?"

"No."

I grin and fail to hold back my laughter any longer. He obviously thinks I'm bluffing, he doesn't think a young girl like me could ever hurt someone else. Perhaps I should give him a nice, personal demonstration.

I slide my favourite kitchen knife and stride towards Musume, my head twitching slowly from side-to-side.

"Alright, Mister Ronshaku, how about I give you a little incentive?"

"What?"

"Every ten minutes that your clients are still in debt, I'll remove one of Musume's body parts."

"What the fu-?!"

The kitchen knife flashes in the light as I raise it above Musume and aim for her right hand, an excited grin spreading across my face and my hands shaking with anticipation.

"Starting from now," I whisper.

Musume screams and shrieks herself awake as I cut off two of her fingers.


	23. Author's Note 2

**A/N** **:** Hello everyone, I'd just like to clear something up.

As you may have noticed, there hasn't been any activity on this story lately, but that isn't an accident. At my school, there are very important tests and retakes that I have to study for, and failing them is not an option. Because of this, I will not be able to write any chapters for at least another 2 or 3 weeks, it may even take a month.

When my studies are finished, I promise I'll bring out chapters again. But right now, I simply do not have the time.

Thank you for your support and I hope to write again for you soon.


	24. No 21: The Face of Cruelty

Unsurprisingly, the head of Ronshaku Loans is quite a difficult man to break.

Needing Amai Serju, the Cooking Club President, to stay as far away from Senpai as possible, I knew I had to do something about her family's troubling debt. More blood on my hands is simply more work and cleaning up to do, so I thought I'd do a favour for once.

And after finding the Musume Ronshaku, I took her away, right under the school's nose. After all, what is a better method to have someone bend to your will than hurting someone they love?

Then came the irritating and slow part, getting that person to finally give up. I thought that just threatening to hurt Musume would be enough for the head of Ronshaku Loans to give in, but it turns out that this isn't the case. To show I mean business, I already cut a few fingers off of Musume's left hand, but she's stopped screaming now and all she's doing is shivering in the chair I've strapped her to. I glance at my phone. I've sent a clear picture of my work on Musume, but I haven't received a response yet. This guy must take his company seriously, but does he care about it more than his own daughter? I don't think so.

To do things like this, you really have to understand the person's mentality. Obviously, they love their family, but how far do you have to push them before they give everything up for that loved one? You have to find a balance. You'll need to hurt your hostage to pressure them, but at the same time, if you hurt your hostage too much and end up killing them, then you have a _much_ bigger problem on your hands. That's exactly why I went for Musume's fingers first, it won't kill her, but the sight of that will get my message across.

"Please…" Musume whimpers, the bleeding of the stubs that once were fingers finally stopped. "Please, please, please…just let me go…I haven't done anything to you…"

Watching her cry and shake in fright is admittedly fun, but I don't give her a response. She's not of importance to me, she's just the Ronshaku Loans' weakness, and I'll do whatever I need to do to her for my victory.

I peer down at my watch. It's been eight minutes since I last contacted the boss of Ronshaku Loans. If he doesn't give in to my demand in the next two minutes, then I have to do something more painful to Musume. But…that could be a problem.

The problem isn't that I _can't._ God no, I could slaughter this girl without a second thought. What the actual problem is…I'm afraid I'll kill her with my next move. She's definitely not like the other girls I've tortured. As expected of a spoiled brat who has a rich father and has had whatever she's ever wanted with the snap of her fingers, there are absolutely no signs of toughness in her. She's far too fragile, and just cutting off a few of her fingers is enough to her to look like she's about to die. I hate the fragile kind. Needing to think about how to hurt her without killing her is incredibly annoying.

It's been nine minutes. I clearly told Musume's father that he only has ten minutes to comply before I hurt Musume in a different way. Musume keeps weeping and crying softly, and she hasn't even taken a single break from shivering. I glance over to the kitchen knife in my right hand. I could always carve a letter on her face, I recall doing that once to Kokona when I had her in this basement. I don't want to start getting repetitive with my methods of torture.

But I think I know a way of getting things moving a lot quicker. Pictures don't really convey true terror like a video can, right?

As I advance towards Musume again, she begins screeching and screaming. I haven't laid a finger on her yet, but she knows that she's in for some more pain. This time, I hold out my phone and point it at Musume, and instead of taking pictures to send, I begin recording a video. Now he can watch everything I do to his daughter and hear her screams as though she's right next to him.

And then it hits me, if I want to talk during this video, he'll hear my voice. Now, it's not easy to track someone down just by their voice, especially a nobody like me, but even the smallest possibility of that isn't settling. Perhaps I shouldn't talk? No, silent torture isn't nearly as threatening. I need to laugh when I hurt Musume, and I have to keep taunting her father and tell him that I'm enjoying all of it. If I just remain silent, it won't be the same.

I clear my throat and mentally start to prepare myself. The only thing I can do now is speak differently than I normally do, and that shouldn't be too difficult.

The phone is pointed at Musume. "So, Mr. Ronshaku, here is your daughter. I thought a video might be more stimulating than just photos, wouldn't you agree?"

Musume screams out and cries without any sense to her words, so I decide to kneel right next to her, showing her terrified expression to the camera for her father to see.

"Musume," I mutter, waiting for her to stop screaming. "Look at me."

It takes a few moments, but she eventually looks down at me, fear flashing within her eyes.

"Your father is going to watch this video. He's seeing all of this. Do you have anything you want to say to him?"

"Please…Daddy…help me…" She whimpers softly, quivering and shivering like there's no tomorrow.

Now that is perfect. If you get your hostage to beg for mercy and ask for their family to help them, that'll make the family feel responsible for whatever happens. I place the phone onto the table in basement and position it towards Musume, while also making sure that it's tilted slightly downwards so that Mr. Ronshaku cannot see my face.

"I gave you ten minutes." I laugh with a much deeper voice than how I usually speak, making sure I sound _nothing_ like myself. "What you're about to see is _your_ fault."

Without needing to say another word, I let my phone silently record what happens next. I grab a brown cloth and stuff it forcefully into Musume's mouth, shutting her up completely. She struggles and wriggles around in her chair, but she isn't going anywhere. Holding my knife next to her face, I slowly press the edge of it on her skin, making sure to drag it out as long as possible. The slowest method of torture is the best method, that's always been obvious.

Then, when Musume's skin finally begins to dribble out a small drop of blood, I gradually press the knife further in to increase the bleeding. Musume tries to scream again, but she can't, which is always good news for my ears. With expertise precision, I carve a line straight downwards and watch the blood slowly ooze out. I'll let Mr. Ronshaku watch his daughter bleed slowly. Then, once the flow of blood gradually increases, I begin carving again, making the letter 'R' on her left cheek. It's a little jagged, but skin isn't exactly the easiest material to draw on, so I think I did quite well.

Then, putting the bloody knife away, I take the cloth out of Musume's mouth and her screaming and yelling start echoing throughout the basement again. This time, I walk slowly towards the camera, having it still pointing away from my face, and giggle into it.

"You have another ten minutes before I draw another letter. I've already got the first letter down, so maybe I should write 'Ronshaku' all across it? It might not be a good image on Musume's pretty face, but I'd leave a nice, little mark on her. So, Mr. Ronshaku, what do you say?"

And then I abruptly end the video and send it directly to Mr. Ronshaku's number.

It only takes him three minutes to call me back.

I answer with a grin on my face. "Hello?"

There's an incredibly long pause.

"Let my daughter go."

"Sure, but only if we have a deal."

"Already done. I've filed off every single person that's in debt to us. You can check right now."

"Okay then, give me a minute."

I hold the phone away from my ear and put it on hold. There's no way I'm letting him fool me, if he's lying then I'll have to hurt Musume Ronshaku even more. With one hand, I call Amai and immediately start speaking normally again.

"Amai, can you please check if your father is still in debt?"

"What…? Why would you-?"

"Please, Amai, just check."

Again, I have to wait a very long time for a response, and when Amai speaks again there's the distinct tone of confusion in her voice.

"My father called the agency…he doesn't owe them any money anymore. Aishi...what did you do…?"

"I've freed you from your debt, Amai."

"N-no way! H-How did you do something like that?!" Amai cheers out, and I can hear the sounds of crying with joy in the background.

I glance down at my blood-stained shirt, the unconscious, bleeding Musume in the corner, and the knife in my hand.

"I, um, have my ways."

"A-Aishi…I don't know what to say…"

"We'll talk later, Amai. I still have things to do. Bye."

With that, I end the call and smile happily. Another complete success, though that's not really a surprise. Mr. Ronshaku was bound to bend to my will eventually.

Confirming the situation with Amai, I go back to my call with Mr. Ronshaku and take it off of hold.

"Alright, Mr. Ronshaku. I'll return your daughter."

"When?"

"Soon."

"How can I believe you?"

"You have my word."

"Your word doesn't mean shit to me, lady."

"I know."

And with that, I hang up.

I use the same cloth I had used to choke Musume to wash my hands and smear all the blood off. I hear the door to the basement open and Mother comes down, a bright smile plastered on her face. I toss my knife onto the table and leave the fainted Musume where she is. Mother glances over to Musume and giggles casually.

"Oh dear, you've been busy, haven't you?"

I roll my eyes. "What is it, Mother?"

"It's time for dinner. Wouldn't want to eat it could, now would we?"

"Alright. I'll be up soon."

"Do you want to take a quick shower first, honey? You're just riddled with filth."

I look down and see all of my clothes stained with Musume's blood. These stains aren't going to wash off easily.

"Yeah, I think I'll do that."

I then left the basement and headed up over to my bedroom. And the moment my head hit the pillow of my bed, I went unconscious.

After all that dirty business, I had to take a nap. Torturing is incredibly tiring work.

Most people never experience it because of 'morals', but you really aren't missing out on much. Unless you're an absolute sadist, you won't find any entertainment in it. The only times I've found enjoyment in that is if it's on a girl that has dared stepped between Senpai and I.

Watching those people suffer is undeniably wonderful.

I get out of bed, head over to the basement, and check if Musume is awake yet. Nope.

I really did a number on her, didn't I? I think I'm gaining an affinity for torture.

There's no time to waste though, I need to get her out of here.

I grab the guitar case I used to kidnap her with and place it down on the ground. Then, unstrapping the binds on Musume, I barely lift her up and drop her down into the black case. In you go.

I take a deep breath. Lifting is most definitely not one of my strongest abilities.

But now that I've answered Amai's prayers, I can take full advantage of that. Finally, there isn't any blood on my hands and I'm staying perfectly under the radar. But, of course, to remain undetected, I need to return Musume Ronshaku back to her family now. If I take too long to return her, there's no doubt they'll conduct their own search, which would prove to be bad news for me.

I cannot drop her off at school, the Delinquents have been put onto high alert now that a schoolgirl has gone missing. The last thing I need is a pack of crazed boys and girls swinging their baseball bats at me.

Alright then, it looks like I'm going to have to hand deliver this to her father, personally.

Well then, off to Ronshaku Loans.

* * *

It was another day of being stuck behind the desk.

With her eyes closed, Megami placed both legs onto the table and leant back in her seat. The slow sound of ticking emitting from the clock in her office was echoing in her ear, over and over. This was her everyday routine. There was no excitement, no freedom, just absolute boredom. Just the thought that her father had been living this boring life until the day he died simply seemed sad to her, no one wanted to sit behind a desk for the rest of their lives.

Fortunately, helping Megami to momentarily forget her utter boredom, her secretary and financial advisor both stepped into the room. It bothered her that neither of them had even considered knocking before entering, but she was so glad to finally have someone to talk to that she didn't even give them a scolding glare.

"Good morning, ma'am." Her secretary spoke first, bowing down to Megami's presence. She was a young woman, short-cut brown hair and the thickest pair of glasses to exist on the planet. "I presume you finished all of the paperwork for today?"

Megami gave a quick glance to the large, white pile of paper on her desk. "Not yet."

Looking at her advisor, she could already see the signs of anger plastered onto his face. Unlike her secretary, he never gave Megami a break and demanded constant effort out of her. He didn't even seem to care about anything else, it looked like the company's wellbeing was the only important thing in his entire life. It was rather pitiful, now that she thought about it.

"So," She gradually muttered. "How is our guest doing?"

"You mean the one downstairs?" The secretary answered.

"Yes."

"Well, he hasn't talked yet, if that's what you are asking."

"I want that information."

The secretary nodded. "We…are doing our best."

"Do better. That man knows something about what happened at the factory. I _need_ to know."

The Advisor frowned and the wrinkles on his worn-out face somehow grew. He took a step forward towards Megami with his arms folded.

"You're torturing a man for information?"

"That's right." Megami answered back without hesitation, her glare firm. "What of it?"

"That's not how our company does things. You should know that."

"This is _my_ company now, and you'd be wise to remember that." Megami hissed back, getting out of her seat.

"This is not how your father-!"

"My father is dead." Megami snapped back before the Advisor could finish, and her voice had gone cold and chilling. "And as his successor, I will finish what he started."

Both the secretary and the Advisor glanced at each other, exchanging confused expressions. Neither of them knew why this meant so much to Megami, and the private affairs of her father. With a deep breath, the secretary was the first one to muster up the courage to ask further.

"What are you talking about, ma'am? Had your father done something we are not aware about?"

Megami lowered her head. "My father loved a woman before I was born, a woman who wasn't my mother."

"Oh…"

"And he loved her like nothing else. He wanted to marry her, but someone got in the way of that."

"Who?"

"My father referred to them as Yanderes."

"Y-Yandere…?"

"Yes."

The Advisor looked dumbfounded. "What on _earth_ is a Yandere?"

"Monsters. They look like you and me, but their minds have thoughts that you would even shudder to imagine. They always have a disgusting and unnatural obsession with someone."

"And one of these…'Yanderes' was also interested in the woman your father loved?" The secretary continued.

"Yes. And what did the monster do? He slipped into this company and poisoned the wine that my father and his lover were planning on drinking. The woman died moments after drinking it."

"But your father…?"

"He survived longer thanks to taking a much smaller dosage. He thought that the woman he loved was simply killed by some sort of illness. And then, he died months later when the poison finally took effect. By the time he realized it was the wine that was killing him, it was too late. All he could do was warn me before he passed away."

"So," The secretary whispered. "That's why you encountered Ms. Ayano Aishi."

"Exactly," Megami muttered. "I finally found one of them, those slippery pests that know only how to kill. And I was taking my time in watching her suffer, until someone slipped a drug into her that allowed her to bring the entire facility down."

"But what does this have to do with the man you've ordered people to torture?" The Advisor asked, not following.

"That man is the one who gave Aishi that drug. I want to know who gave him the orders."

"I…see."

Megami moved towards the door and her two followers trailed behind her. She strode down the corridors and headed to the elevator, her face devoid of all emotion.

She glanced at her secretary. "Put off all of my appointments for today, I have something else I need to do."

"Would you like us to accompany you?" The secretary questioned back as the elevator doors opened up.

Megami shook her head. "No."

Leaving her Advisor and secretary, Megami entered the elevator and pressed the button for the lowest floor. The doors closed and she was finally alone again, left to think silently in the elevator as it went down.

She never really liked anyone. Ever since she was a child, she never made any friends. After all, she was from an incredibly wealthy family. How could she ever fit in at a school that she _owned?_ There wasn't anyone that she could ever find herself connecting to, except for her father. He was always there, and he was the only person that ever mattered to her.

But he was taken away from her.

Yanderes. Just speaking that name left a bad taste in her mouth. Vermin was a better name for those creatures, the ones that killed her father. On his deathbed, he told her of the horrors that Yanderes had committed, and how their obsessive personalities was what caused the deaths of others. At that moment onward, she despised their kind. In fact, she detested them so much that she made it her only goal to eradicate every last one of them. The world would be cleansed. The world would be rid of them.

The elevator came to a stop and Megami entered the room.

In the middle of the room, a man sat there, coughing out blood as men in tuxedos punched him over and over again. Megami glanced at one of the men with a bored expression.

"Has he talked yet?" She asked.

"Not yet, ma'am."

Megami grinned, walked over to the traitor, and knelt close to him.

He was bleeding from every part of his body. They had taken an eye out, ripped off one of his testicles, and even removed half of his nose. He had been tortured over the course of weeks, but he still hadn't talked. He was the scientist that secretly injected Ayano Aishi with some kind of wonder drug. He was the only person who knew where this drug came from, but he wouldn't give up the information.

Megami grabbed a screwdriver from the table and drilled it into the palm of his hand, watching him scream in agony.

"Let's change that, shall we?"


	25. No 22: The Urge To Kill

Everything has gone swimmingly.

I dropped off the guitar case at the rear of the Ronshaku company's building. There weren't any cameras or anything else to ever prove that I was there.

And Musume? I think I made it _very_ clear to her that my identity remains a secret. I am now the source of her nightmares, so I highly doubt she'll spill the beans.

I decide to use my bicycle to school today, since I'm in a good mood. I don't usually cycle, but I might as well use it for once. Mother bought it for me for my birthday, completely unaware that I didn't want one.

I cannot blame her though. I never ask for anything on my birthday. It becomes rather difficult to not get a terrible gift.

The moment I reach school, I can just smell the fear in the air. The amount of Delinquents on patrol on the interior of the building has increased and the students are looking a little paranoid again. I act the same way in order to blend in with all these cowards.

Musume Ronshaku kidnapped right under the school's nose, now that must be embarrassing for them all. Once I walk up to the main doors, I see that the Delinquents are searching through everyone's schoolbags before they head inside. That's fine by me, I haven't brought anything that could deem dangerous.

"Hey, what the hell is this?" One of the Delinquents growl at one of the male students as she searches through his bag. "You brought a knife?"

"It's for my food…" the boy mutters back pitifully, looking incredibly feeble.

"Yeah, well you ain't taking it inside with you."

"But how will I eat?"

"With your fucking hands, I don't care!" The Delinquent yells as she shoves him inside the school building.

This Delinquent is different from the rest. I mean, all of them are simply thugs that had been picked off the streets, but this one seems slightly more aggressive than the rest of them, if that's even possible. As I step forward for my bag check, she goes through everything and doesn't even bother on not messing it up. While she's searching thoroughly through it, I take a good look at her. She's taller than me, older too. Her body isn't bulky but I can clearly see some large muscles on her arms. She must be strong.

Strangely enough, she's also wearing the school uniform, but it's incredibly damaged and ripped up. On top of her ragged uniform, there's a black leather jacket hanging by her shoulders.

Bandages all over her legs and scars much larger than the ones I've inflicted onto others.

This woman is dangerous. Whatever I do, I have to tread carefully around this thug.

She looks up and glares at me. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing,"

"If you've got something to say, spit it out."

Oh, trust me, I have a million things to say to a pathetic thug such as yourself.

But you're not worth my time.

"No, ma'am. I just want to go inside."

The female thug glares at me for a few more moments then forcefully tosses the bag back into my arms and waits for me to go inside.

Well, isn't she charming?

As I enter the building, the changes become even more obvious. Delinquents striding down every corner, desperate looks in their eyes.

It's actually quite entertaining to be able to walk right past them. I'm the one they're looking for, the one they've failed to bring to justice multiple times, but I can stroll through the school building and none of them are the wiser.

But since I didn't kill anyone _and_ Musume Ronshaku has been returned to her family, this is sure to die down pretty soon. And that's exactly what I'm waiting for. The moment they drop their guard is when I can act freely again.

I head over to Art class.

As I sit down and recollect my thoughts, I cannot help but notice that I'm still feeling a little frustrated. I mean, someone had actually dared to get close to Senpai, but instead of making her suffer like she should, I'm helping both her and her father. Even if this means that there's less blood on my hands, it feels…strange.

Whatever. I can live with this, I suppose.

Class drags on for quite a while but once it ends I'm the first one out, again.

At break is finally the time when I can actually talk to Amai again. There's only one place she can be, too. I move towards the staircase and go upstairs, reaching the Cooking Club room. The doors are closed. I open them up slightly and peek inside.

She's not here. That's weird.

I feel a light tap on my shoulder.

Amai is standing happily behind me. There's a bright smile on her face and a friendly, amiable aura coming off of her that absolutely disgusts me. She's giving off that 'big sister' vibe and I do not care for it. Whatever you may look like on the outside, Amai, I know that on the inside you're a slippery snake who thinks she can get close to my Senpai.

But of course, to look natural, I smile cheerfully right back at her.

"Good morning, Amai."

"Morning! Were you looking for me here?"

"Yes."

Amai nods understandingly and does something that takes me by complete surprise.

She hugs me.

Her arms wrap around mine and she embraces me. She rests her head on my shoulders while she hugs me and I hear her weeping softly.

"Thank you…thank you _so_ much…" She whispers.

She's giving me her warmth. She's holding me in the kind of way that seems like she never wants to let go. I freed her from her lifelong debt that I'm practically her saviour. Her tears are of joy, of happiness, of absolute delight and gratefulness. Her hug is a sign of true affection.

But I feel _none_ of it.

To me, it's a cold, awkward hug that I have to endure until she finally decides to let go of me.

When she finally does, she wipes away her tears and looks at me directly in the eyes.

"You've saved me, and I barely even know you…" Amai mumbles, her voice cracked. "Why?"

Now that's a good question, but telling her to stay away from Senpai seems a little too early and sudden. No, for now, I'd better just make some pathetic, emotional excuse up.

"I suppose…" I slowly whisper, acting embarrassed and bashful. "I…just wanted to be friends."

Amai looks surprised and hugs me again. "Well, of course we are!"

Oh good, she bought it.

We talk together for a little longer, and Amai keeps repeating to me over and over again about how much I've helped her. Thankfully, she seems so happy and glad that her family's out of debt that she completely forgets to ask just how I managed it. That's good. She wouldn't really want to know, now would she?

Eventually the bell rings and we both have to go back to class. Just before she leaves, however, I hold her left hand and start to look embarrassed again.

"Say…Amai…?"

"Yes?"

"W-Would you mind…coming over to my house…?"

"You want me to come over? Why?"

"We could…hang out…and stuff."

Just fall for it already.

"Aw, you adorable thing. Of course I will!" Amai cheers with a big grin. "What's your address?"

"I'll text it to you."

"Okay then, I'll see you after school!"

She dashes off to class and I stand there in the middle of the hallway.

Perfect. It becomes so utterly easy to make someone your friend and get their upmost and absolute trust. All you have to do is help them in the way that most people would be afraid to, and once you've done it, they'll simply be lured in and be in your grasp.

Now she won't get close to Senpai. She won't stick to him like glue. He'll be mine and only mine, and in the Cooking Club _I_ will be the one next to him. Senpai is so incredible that he keeps on attracting different kinds of women without even noticing, but that is only proving problematic for me. He isn't aware of it, but none of these girls would ever truly make him happy. Only I can do that.

Senpai and I will be happy together.

And Amai is sure as hell not going to stop that.

* * *

This had to be the worst plan that Info-chan had ever been a part of.

Even with all of her contacts, she wasn't able to find the killer of the Journalist, so she reached the point of desperation where she had to ask Ryoba Aishi herself for advice.

And what advice did Ryoba give her? Lure the murderer by walking around in public.

Whoever the man who killed the Journalist was, Info-chan at least agreed that this person was interested in talking to her, but he wanted to do it on his terms.

But now she was roaming the city blindly, a purse in hand and casual clothing on. The sun's heat was highly irritating and she simply wanted to go back inside. This discomfort was because she almost never let the house unless it was for business, and Info-chan knew this well, but at the same time she really didn't want to walk anymore.

She arrived at a café and took a seat. The place was crowded and waiters were rushing around annoyingly. Info-chan sighed and leant back in her chair. She wasn't here for coffee, she just needed somewhere to sit down.

Did Ryoba even know what she was talking about? Or was she sending Info-chan on a wild goose chase?

Perhaps Ryoba did this just to waste her time.

A waiter came over with a notepad in hand, ready to take Info-chan's order.

"What can I get you today?"

Info-chan didn't bother to look up. "Nothing, I was just leaving."

The waiter chuckled back and didn't move from his spot.

"Oh, I don't think you were."

Info-chan froze as she recognized the voice. It was the same voice she had heard on the phone. The one that had taunted her.

Info-chan finally looked up to see the man's face, but it was completely covered by what looked like a fox mask.

"You…" Info-chan muttered. "You're the person I've been searching for."

The masked man chuckled again and sat down. "I suppose I am."

"Why cover your face? Afraid?"

"Oh no. You don't recognize this mask? It's a traditional one, quite popular around these parts."

"So it isn't about you not wanting to reveal your face?"

"Well, I didn't say _that._ "

"Start making sense, now."

The masked man leaned onto the table between them and laughed. "I'm just in a…difficult position. If my identity was to be known to the public, that would make things rather annoying for me."

"And what's stopping me from tearing that mask off right now?"

The man shrugged. "Nothing."

Info-chan calmed herself down. First, the important questions. "How did you find me?"

"I never lost you. I have been watching for a pretty long time now."

"How long?"

"Ever since you became associated Ayano Aishi."

"What do you want?"

"I thought you already knew." The masked man noted. "I just want to be part of the action. It's so…delicious. We're the same, Info-chan."

"We're nothing alike."

"Ah, but we're more similar in ways that you could never imagine."

Info-chan cursed in her mind.

He had been observing her and was smart enough to meet up with her in the most populated area in this vicinity. He knew very well that Info-chan couldn't attack him in front of people, let alone kill him.

More than anything, Info-chan hated drawing attention to herself, and he knew that perfectly well.

She had even brought a handgun in her purse, but there was no way she could use it at this spot.

Perhaps she could follow him once he left? That was her only option to find someplace to hurt him as much as he hurt her.

"Let's order a drink, shall we?" he asked with a cheerful tone.

He was mocking her.

"I'm going to hurt you." Info-chan whispered to him. "Perhaps not today, perhaps not this week, but someday you will die for what you did."

The masked man didn't even flinch.

"Ohoho, now that's ominous!" He cackled. "I look forward to it."

"And if you're planning on screwing up on Aishi's goal, your death might come even sooner."

The masked man shook his head. "Oh no, I don't want to stop what she's doing. I saved her back when she was kidnapped, remember?"

"Why? What's in it for you?"

"Nothing really,"

"You _must_ have a reason."

"Well, of course." The masked man spoke softly. "…I want to watch her dance."

"What?"

The masked man shook his head again. "I don't expect you to understand. My feelings about what she's doing…it's like déjà vu."

Info-chan couldn't get a proper read on this person. He seemed to be completely calm and cool around her, but the things he was saying didn't make sense at certain moments. He was trying to tell more about himself while also concealing as much information as possible.

The frustration of not being able to kill him at this very moment was gnawing away at her and it seemed like the masked man knew.

"Now, I'll return that question right back at you. Why have _you_ gotten involved in all this?"

"That's my business."

"Oh come on, don't be so cold."

"I have every reason to be."

The masked man lowered his head. "Oh dear, so we're getting to _that_ topic now. I was hoping we could leave that behind us."

"You killed my father."

"Your father killed himself."

"How dare you say that." Info-chan hissed. "You didn't know him at all."

Silence followed and the masked man slowly looked back up. He stared directly into Info-chan's eyes from behind the mask. His stare caused a cold chill down her spine.

"What if I told you I knew him better than you ever did?"

Info-chan paused. "You're lying."

"Do I really need to? Do I have _any_ reason to?"

Info-chan didn't speak.

The masked man continued. "He was a good man, but couldn't let go of the past."

"He never told me about anyone like you."

"He didn't? Now that's hurtful." The masked man responded, but by the tone of his voice Info-chan could tell he already knew.

"If you want to tell me something about him, just spit it out."

The masked man remained silent for a few moments, then began whispering.

"In my…'business', I meet people like your father quite wearily often. I take them in and give them work. It's beneficial for the both of us."

"And?"

"And I tried to do the same with your father. How do you think he started working for Megami? _I_ made it so. Someone like him could've but useful, but it turned out I was wrong. He could never let go of his hatred of Ryoba Aishi and set out to bring her down."

"That wasn't his fault."

"I know. But, he then started to gamble even further. He began hunting down Ayano Aishi, and came incredibly close to killing her."

"But you stepped in."

The masked man's voice sounded slightly regretful. "Yes. I was the one who gave him connections with Megami and it was because of me that Ayano was about to die. I trailed him as he hunted her down, and when I knew for sure that Ayano couldn't handle it, I knew what needed to be done."

"I can't forgive you for that."

"I know."

"Will you try to kill me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because," Info-chan muttered. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you die."

"And I welcome the challenge. As I said, Info-chan, I'm just an observer. I'm not anyone important and I don't really want much. I'm hardly worth your interest."

"Except for the fact that you killed my father."

The masked man looked at Info-chan for a few moments longer and said nothing. He already said everything that he wanted to, and he could tell that Info-chan's anger and hate towards him was only growing with every second.

He got up from the table and tucked his chair back in. Info-chan remained sitting down, glaring at him.

"Well, I should be on my way."

"We will meet again." Info-chan spoke sharply. "And that time, it'll be on _my_ terms."

The masked man looked back one last time and chuckled.

"I look forward to it, Miss…"

And then…

And then he said something.

He followed up with something that caused Info-chan to freeze in her chair.

She had been planning to follow him and track him down, but she couldn't find her body moving. He said something that was impossible for anyone to speak, he said something that no person on this planet would have been able to say.

The masked man addressed her by something so old and forgotten that Info-chan's heart began to race and she became as cold as ice.

He knew it.

Whoever this masked man was...

He knew her name.

* * *

The moment I get home I toss my schoolbag onto the couch in the living room and get Mother and Father's attention.

"I have someone coming over," I mutter. "Go away."

Without asking any questions, they both obediently leave the house. They know when I'm serious and they're wise enough to know not to bother me.

Now, with those two out of the house, I can set up this place a little bit.

It needs to seem as…'normal' as possible.

I head into the living room and arrange the pillows on the sofas slightly and place down two cups of tea on the table. She needs to feel as comfortable as possible, I can't have her leaving on me.

Amai will be the first person at school to visit my house. Impressions are important to blend in.

Well, I guess Info-chan was technically the first, but she broke in so I don't really see it as the same thing.

Besides, I wouldn't consider Info-chan as an ordinary student in the first place.

Everything looks good. I've rearranged some of the things lying around here, and with Mother and Father not in the house, she won't sense anything out of the normal. If she asks where my parents are, I'll just say they were out at a party or something.

You know what? This is nice. It really feels like setting up the house for someone important to me, except for the fact that Amai is just a snake in my eyes and I'm only doing this to exploit her.

But, you know, it's still nice.

I glance at my watch. She should be here in around ten more minutes.

During her visit here, I'll have to make sure we're comfortable, and then I can manipulate her into staying a close distance away from Senpai.

How will I do that? Well, I could tell her that Senpai has some kind of strange and contagious disease, or something else. It all depends on how she acts, once I get a good read on her I can choose the lie that would most likely be believed.

I go upstairs and change my clothes. It would seem rather strange for me to still be in my school uniform when she arrives.

Looking into my wardrobe, I stand there on the spot, seeming utterly confused.

I…don't know what to wear.

Just what exactly is 'normal' to wear when girls are hanging out at their homes? I honestly have no clue.

Well, huh.

With a few more glances at the contents of my wardrobe, I reach inside and grab a white shirt with the picture of a sunflower on it and a pair of blue jeans.

This should suffice…I guess.

I change my clothes and look at myself in the mirror.

And now I remember why I almost never wear my other clothes, it all looks so ridiculous. This shirt is actually giving me the urge to take it off and rip it into as many shreds as it can possibly become.

But I can't. I just have to endure with this ugly thing.

The jeans aren't nearly as ugly to me, but they aren't to my liking either. I'm quite indifferent when it comes to fashion, I'm more interested in the fact if it's comfortable to wear. If it's comfortable, I honestly don't care what I'm wearing.

The doorbell rings. She's here.

I walk back downstairs and towards the door. She's waiting just outside. This is the moment where I have to act as normal and as friendly as possible.

I sigh and open the door. Let's do this.

Amai bursts through the front door and hugs me. What's with her and all of the hugging, it's quite unpleasant.

"Hello, can I come in?" She asks in a polite fashion.

"Sure. Sit down in the living room."

We both enter the room and sit down. Amai notices the tea and gratefully holds it in her hands and gradually begins sipping.

I hold my tea but choose not to drink it. I don't really enjoy tea.

"I like the new look, Aishi." Amai giggles, pointing at my shirt. "That's so cute!"

With every fibre of my being, I choose not to say just how ugly it is to me, and instead I just take the compliment.

"Thanks." I mumble. "So, how is your father? Are things improving?"

"Yes! I've never seen him so…relaxed before. He used to always be on edge, but he can finally live peacefully without all that debt."

"That's good."

"Aishi, thank you again."

"It's not a problem. You needed help, so I stepped in."

"But you had no obligation to, you could've ignored my problems."

I force a smile onto my face. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Amai smiles right back. "Right."

With a few more sips, Amai finishes her tea. Now from what I know, it's common courtesy to give them a refill.

"Here, let me get you another cup." I mutter.

"Ah, thank you!"

I head into the kitchen and place the cup down.

This is…too much.

She's one of the snakes that's been crawling all over Senpai, and here I am having tea with her. This isn't right, she should be on the floor, dead. She doesn't deserve to live after what decision she has made.

I can't let this keep going. I've held myself back for too long. Someone like her has to die. There's no other way.

Without noticing it, I grab one of the knives inside the drawer inside of refilling Amai's cup and slowly walk back into the living room.

Amai is sitting there, looking at the floor.

She isn't even aware of me. I can kill her before she can even notice. I can dig this knife deep into her neck, listen to her scream, and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

I know I promised to hold myself back. I know I've put in so much effort in order to have less blood on my hands and make it easier to get closer to Senpai. But how can I let Amai live?

She dared to get close to Senpai, she shouldn't be able to walk away from that without some kind of punishment. Screw what Info-chan told me, screw staying under the radar.

I cannot resist the urge any longer. I want to see her bleed. I want to see fear flash in her eyes. I want to see her suffer the exact same way that Osana, Kokona, and Hanako did.

My vision gradually becomes blurred. My whole body feels like it's on fire.

I stand directly behind her. I can feel the twitching of my head, I can feel the anticipation feeling my body as I hold the knife high, just one move away from killing her.

Amai has to die.

She has to.

She must.

Just one stab is all it will take.

 _Kill._

 _Kill._

 _Kill._

 **Kill.**


	26. No 23: Mistakes Were Made

It was like snapping out of a trance.

I gasp and blink a few times, taking a couple of moments to regain full consciousness.

Where am I?

There's a distinct smell in the air. It's off-putting yet incredibly familiar.

I look down at my feet and see a small puddle of blood.

My socks are soaked in it, my clothes are drenched with it, and my face has been painted by it. Why is there so much blood? Just what the hell happened?

I glance at the object lying on the floor with me, still oozing out all this blood.

Amai's body.

No, no, _no._

No this is happening. This wasn't supposed to happen. Everything had been going so well, why did things have to take this turn?

I suffered and went through all that effort to avoid killing her, yet I did it anyway. I needed at least one of these people alive, I was already too deep to begin with, but now I've just dug myself deeper inside. All that planning for absolutely _nothing_.

I thought I could hold myself back.

What is _wrong_ with me?!

You idiot, you utter moron, like what you've gotten yourself into now. You were supposed to spare this one, you were supposed to keep your cool.

I drop the knife and look around me. I'm in the backyard of the house.

So, I didn't travel very far when I lost my mind.

I press my hand on Amai's ripped neck. It's as cold as ice now. She's been dead for some time.

It felt like only moments ago we were sitting together, drinking tea. Now, she's dead at my feet and I don't even remember how I killed her.

Sure, it's undeniable that this isn't at least…slightly enjoyable. What I wanted most was to see Amai suffer and pay for what she did, and now I can admire the handiwork I did on her corpse.

But I cannot enjoy this. I cannot.

Right now, I need to focus on cleaning this mess up. I can regret my decisions later. I have to get rid of any evidence, I have to dispose of Amai's body, and this knife also needs to go.

But first, I need to retrace my steps.

I leave the backyard and slowly step into the house through the sliding door. On the glass of the sliding door itself, there are handprints in blood, spreading across to the very right. So, I forcefully dragged Amai outside then.

The house itself contains different signs of what I did too. There are broken shards scattered on the floor, stained red. I recognize the patterns on them, these are the pieces of the teacups. All of them are broken, not even one remained intact.

I step into the living room. The couch that Amai had been sitting on is also stained with her blood, and the stains have reached the carpet below.

Paintings on the wall have been ripped. The table that had been between Amai and I is completely smashed. In the middle of the room, it looks like a nail is on the floor, with blood at one end of it.

I glance down at both of my hands.

The torn-out nail isn't mine.

Small strands of hair are all over the seats as well. Brown, soft hair. Amai's.

I must have pulled them out. I reach out my right hand to grab the hair, but pause as I notice marks on the back of it. Red marks all over the back of my hand, still fresh, and I can feel a slight stinging coming from them. These are scratch marks.

So, Amai put up a fight.

None of the rest of my body feels sore. I have a headache, sure, but no other physical damage.

Now, to place the pieces together and figure out what happened.

Obviously I lost control. At some point, I must have attacked her from behind or thrown her into that broken table. Afterwards, I might've hit her against the walls and paintings, that would explain why the paintings are smashed.

As for the hair, I must have pulled them out during our struggle. At some point, she scratched my hand and I dragged her from the living room to the backyard, where I finished her off somehow.

Why can I not remember all this? Why do I have to look at this room and just make guesses? Did I seriously lose it to the point of going into a complete frenzy?

I was an absolute fool for believing that I could hold myself back. Of course I couldn't. I hated Amai and wanted to see her suffer, yet I did all that work to _help_ her. It was only a matter until I lost my cool and did something reckless.

This house is a mess. _I_ am a mess. This needs to be sorted out.

I grab my phone out of my pocket and call Info-chan. If anyone can help me out of a situation like this, it's that person.

But she doesn't answer. I call her four times but I get no response. Just how useless can she get? If she's planning on being a good tool, she has to be available whenever I need her.

I toss the phone onto the sofa and sit down for a moment.

Info-chan won't help me out of this one, and I don't have the luxury of waiting for her to call back. Whatever the situation is now, I have to figure out a way to fix it myself. First of all, Amai's body needs to go.

I go back out to the backyard, staring at the corpse under the moonlight. Now that I've properly calmed myself down, I can look at her body more carefully.

Her clothes are torn and most of the wounds are around her neck. I must've ended her with a few stabs to that area. The amounts of wounds are unnecessary too, but I guess I didn't really care when I descended into a frenzy.

I kneel beside her corpse and lower my head.

You deserved to die, Amai. Even if I hadn't killed you today, I would've tracked you down in the future and make you pay for trying to get close to Senpai. I do not regret your death, and while I don't remember anything, I hope your death was a painful one. It probably was.

But now, because of your death, I'm in a lot of trouble. This wasn't planned. I hadn't made _any_ preparations. I have no idea what to do with you.

I cannot frame your death. I cannot take you to school. That would be foolish. Without Info-chan's assistance, there's no way I can take your body anywhere without being seen.

But it's alright for now. I know what I need to do.

Where do dead bodies go? Beneath the earth.

Father always had a shovel, but I have no idea where it is. My best bet is in the shed.

The shed in our backyard is small, pathetic, and falling apart. I'm not even sure why it's still here, it should've been replaced a long time ago.

I approach it. The door has a lock on it, but it hasn't been closed. Looks like someone didn't bother to keep people out. I might as well grab whatever I can in here.

I open the door and take a step inside. The dust floating around causes me to both cough and sneeze. This thing hasn't been cleaned in forever. Inside are the most basic of tools, screwdrivers, nails, a green rake, and a roll of duct tape for some reason.

Nothing too complex here. But at the end, I see a shovel leaning against the corner. It's wrapped in dust, just like everything else here, and a layer of it gets onto my palms as I grab it. Carefully, I lift it and take it out of the shed, making sure not to hit anything over with it.

Once I'm outside the shed, I begin patting away the dust formed on it. It's also rusted, having a brown, gritty look to it. I cannot even remember the last time Father ever used this thing.

In fact, he barely does anything. All he ever does is sit in the living room and say almost nothing. Why does he even have these tools? He'll never use them.

It's rather heavy, but I carry it over to Amai's corpse.

To bury a body right in the backyard of my own home is foolish and can quickly backfire, but I do not have a choice. There is nowhere else to put Amai, and now that she's dead she _must_ be disposed of. If anyone ever comes over, I have to make sure they never get close to this backyard.

Ever.

No one can find Amai. No one must know of what happened here.

I start digging.

The ground is tough, the shovel barely digs into it. I have to place my left foot onto its edge and press my weight onto it to finally get it under. Then, with gritted teeth, I try digging out the soil.

This is incredibly difficult. I have to dig up the grass, the surface of the earth, and dig out the contents underneath. It takes almost all my effort to just dig a few times, and I've only managed to make a small hole, large enough for a rat.

Utterly pathetic, that's what I am. This shouldn't even be an issue. I should be able to at least dig a hole.

I keep going, and gradually I start to make progress. I cannot help but keep glancing over to Amai's corpse as I dig, unable to properly process the fact that she's dead.

To think things should turn out like this…

I truly did underestimate my hate for her.

Finally, when it looks deep enough to hold a body, I kneel over to Amai and carefully roll her in. She flops into the hole and lays there with her arms still sticking out.

It seems like I need to dig it just a little deeper, just enough so that I'm sure it won't be obvious when I cover it back up.

Now then-

 _Ring._

My heart almost drops.

I glance at the door, all the way from the backyard. The shovel remains stuck to the earth as I face towards the sound.

Everything is quiet. There isn't a single noise anymore. All I can hear is my own breathing, far louder than usual.

I slowly step back into the house, my mouth dry, and my knees weak. My eyes are glued to the door. I keep staring at it, expecting it to forcefully open at any moment.

But everything remains silent.

Am I simply hearing things? Have I become so utterly paranoid about being caught that I'm hearing sounds on my own now?

I take one step away from the door.

 _Ring. Ring._

No.

No there _is_ someone outside.

My heart begins to race and I drop the knife in my hand.

Who could it be? Mother? No, she wouldn't return back to the house unless I told her to. Info-chan? No, she promised she wouldn't ever come back here again.

A neighbour? A stranger? Someone who mistook this house for another one?

There are too many possibilities, but whoever it may be, this is bad news for me. If _anyone_ was to enter this house right now, they would see everything here. All of the blood, broken glass, smashed paintings, and Amai. It wouldn't take more than a few seconds for them to figure out what happened here and call the authorities.

And then Senpai would know. The word would spread.

The serial killer that had floated around our school as a rumour, he would know it's been me all this time. He'd know everything.

I cannot bear that. That just _can't_ happen.

I'll leave the person outside. I won't allow them in. I haven't made a sound yet, and I'll continue not to. It doesn't matter who it is, they'll eventually go away if I don't answer the door, right?

Right…?

I stand there silently, glaring at the front door.

 _Ring._

Go away.

 _Ring. Ring. Ring._

Please, I'm begging you. Just go away.

 _Ring. Ring._

Just leave. There's no one home. There's no one here.

Please, for the love of god, let me be. You can't come in. Just walk away.

Silence falls. The ominous ringing finally comes to a stop. I don't dare take my eyes off the door, still waiting there. Even though the person's stopped ringing, I do not hear any footsteps. They haven't left yet. They're still standing right outside, waiting for someone to open the door.

Why? What is their problem? Why can't they get the message? Just give up already.

A few moments pass and I can feel myself losing my nerve. Still no footsteps, they haven't moved an inch. This is ridiculous.

Carefully, making sure my movements are completely silent, I approach the door. I need to see just who it is.

And as I look through the hole in the door, I freeze on the spot.

Two men. They're both wearing blue shirts, black vests over them. A dog, similar to a German Shepard, sitting obediently beside them. A baton and small pistol strapped to the hip of one of them.

My hands begin to shake and I find myself unable to breathe.

"Sir? Ma'am? Are you in there?" One of the men finally speak.

My knees weaken and I drop to the floor, finding tears on my cheeks.

This is the end. It's all over.

Everything I've done for my love, for my precious Senpai. I did it all to make sure that we could be together and happy. We would've lived with each other, married and isolated from the rest of the world. We would've had children, beautiful and bright children to lighten up our lives. Our lives would've been filled with love and happiness. We would be happy.

And now that's all gone.

"This is the police, please open up."

* * *

He couldn't believe what had happened.

That damned woman. The Student Council President of Akademi High. She had ruined _everything._

All of his work, all of those years of hard work, and she burnt it all to the ground in the matter of twenty four hours.

And it was all because he had interrupted her. All because he chose to help Ayano Aishi out when she got in too deep.

He had hired one man to infiltrate the factory where Aishi was being held and sneak in their steroid to help her. It was supposed to be impossible for it to ever be traced back to him, or any of his workers.

Yet Megami found the man on the inside, and everything fell apart. She forced the information out of him, and once she knew the location of where this steroid was being produced, she sent her countless men to tear the laboratories apart.

So many years spent on creating this steroid, and Megami destroyed it all.

Boss glanced at his assistant, scratching the back of his head in frustration.

"Can we recover from this?" he asked.

The assistant looked at the floor. "Sir, you know what were in those stations."

Boss closed his eyes and rubbed his tired eyelids.

All of this had happened because he had interfered.

He didn't regret it. No, of course not. He had saved Aishi's life twice so far, and he didn't feel even a shred of regret.

Unlike Megami, he could see the beauty of Aishi's existence. She was an odd one, that much was certain, but there was a charm to that. A schoolgirl that killed other students at her school without remorse and without hesitation…

Boss found that…incredible.

Sure, he knew that she would eventually be defeated. With the path she chose, it would end with her untimely death at some point. She was swimming in deep waters. One day, she would drown.

But still, he found her determination intriguing. And he knew that once she was defeated, she would at least go out with a bang.

And he wanted to help.

Not as a sidekick, or a friend. No, he wanted to help from the shadows. To be able to watch Aishi dance until the very end.

But his organization was small, and his men weaker. He could never take his revenge on Megami for what she did. All those steroids were gone. His work was finished.

Boss motioned his hand towards the door and his assistant quickly opened it up for him.

He entered the room and strolled over to the man sitting in the middle of the room, strapped to the chair by several ropes.

A singular bulb hung by the ceiling. Several men, all belonging to Boss, stood aside as he entered. A small pool of blood circulated the chair, spreading quickly across the ground. The dim light was focused on the man held into the chair.

The man's face was dirty. He had fresh tears on his face. He didn't have a shirt on and his body had been cut up and beaten to a pulp.

And he was still begging weakly.

"Please…sir…" he wheezed, his ribcage stinging. "I'm…sorry…I couldn't…"

Boss knelt close to the battered man. "You couldn't what?"

"I couldn't…take it. Her men…they pushed me…they tortured me…"

"And you were forced to give up the locations of our bases, huh?"

"There…was…nothing…I could do, sir…"

Boss smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it."

"Huh…?" The bleeding man panted, slowly looking up at boss with his bloodshot eyes. "What…do you…mean?"

"Torture is a horrible thing. It hurts, doesn't it?"

The bleeding man nodded, still crying.

"I understand. There was nothing you could do. Anyone would break under torture."

The bleeding man gradually found a smile. "You…mean it…?"

"Of course,"

Then Boss pulled out a pistol from his jacket and shot the bleeding man through the forehead.

Small chunks of brain splattered onto the floor and left stains. Boss looked the other way as the man slowly bled from the new flesh wound. He put the pistol back into its holster and walked back to the door.

"Useless." he muttered to himself. "Useless, bloody moron."

He strode out of the room and his men quickly trailed behind him.

This had been a major setback for him. With the steroid destroyed, his organization didn't hold a candle to other groups and gangs. He had also promised many powerful men across the country a large shipment of that drug, and now he had no idea what he would do or what he'd tell them. That steroid was the only reason that his organization was strong and feared. The moment word got out that they no longer possessed any of it, everything would collapse. Money would be lost. Ground would be taken. The intimidation they had set on others would fade to nothingness.

It was already clear to Boss, his organization would die. It might take a few weeks, or perhaps even a few months, but it would eventually fall. All he could do now was hope to retain as much money and influence as he could, just until his group finally disbanded.

This was the end of his organization, Megami had seen to that, but it wouldn't be the end for Boss. Oh no, he wasn't done yet.

He would still remain part of the game. He would be there to watch Aishi dance for as long as she can. He refused to be left behind.

He craved the madness and chaos looming over Akademi High, and he _would_ be a part of it.

Boss reached into his pocket and held out his most precious, prized possession.

A small vial containing his wonder drug, the ultimate steroid.

He had made sure to always keep a vial for himself, just in case anything happened, and now it was the very last of the drug. This vial was the final ounce of his creation.

He clenched it happily in his palm.

This would be used well. When the chips finally crumbled down, he would make sure that this vial would spark things into its climax.

But this vial wasn't for him, oh no. He wouldn't be the person to use up the last one.

It was for her.

It was for Aishi.

It always had been.


	27. No 24: Desire or Defeat

There's no escape from this.

I slipped up, made a stupid mistake, and now it's coming back to haunt me.

But I need to focus and do whatever I can.

There are two policemen outside. One dog. They seem determined to come in, and denying them permission will only raise further suspicion. I have to let them in, there's no other choice. They're coming into this house one way or another, and when they see the interior…

I rush into the living room. What do I clean first?

Glass. Get rid of the glass.

Using my bare foot, I carefully swept the broken glass of the paintings under our carpet. If they step on this area of the carpet, they'll definitely feel it under them, but I don't have time to put it anywhere else.

The paintings need to go too. They're completely shattered. I grab the two of them, lift the brown cushions on the sofa, and slide the paintings under them. The cushions don't fit properly with them underneath, but it's fine for now. I force them down and move to the window to the garden.

The bloody handprint on it is still fresh, I can probably just scrub this off. It shouldn't take too long to-

"Sir? Ma'am? We can hear you inside, are you alright?" A deep voice calls from outside.

Damn it. I'm making too much noise. They're aware of my presence.

I dart into the kitchen, grab the cloth, and frantically scrub off the blood. The red liquid is thick and has stuck to the window well, and the cloth only spreads it out instead of getting rid of it. I return to the kitchen, soak up the cloth with the sink, and scrub again. This time, it comes off better, and I brush off the blood until only a small, red tint is left. The tint isn't coming off, but it doesn't look like blood anymore, so that'll work. I toss the bloody cloth into the sink and quickly turn my head. My heart is pounding.

Is there anything else left?

Another knock on the door. It sounds louder. I have no choice, it's time to let them in.

If I just put on my usual façade, assure them that everything is fine, they'll leave in no time. I just have to make sure that they buy it, and make them think that absolutely _nothing_ is wrong.

My heart is pumping harder than it ever has before. This is the matter of surviving through the day. Even the slightest slip-up will cause suspicion, and if they get suspicious, they'll look closer, and if they closer, they'll see evidence of what I did to Amai, and if they see that...then it's over. I cannot allow that to happen. No matter what happens, I have to keep a grip and hold my façade. I'm just a normal schoolgirl, attending Akademi High, and my parents are out at a party. I'm well-behaved, smart, and kind. That's all they'll get to see.

I open the door and throw an innocent smile on my face.

"Hello, officer!" I giggle. "Having a nice evening?"

The tall officer glances at his partner then smiles back. "Yes, thank you for asking."

"It took you a while to open up," the shorter officer notes. "I hope we're not intruding?"

I shake my head. "Oh no, of course not! What can I do for you?"

"We're here because of a noise complaint." the tall officer explains.

"Yeah, your neighbours said they heard loud banging and screaming."

"That can't be right…" I answer back, looking completely confused. "I'm home alone."

"Where are your parents?"

"Out at a party, they said they won't be back until late."

Their German Shepard moves around the officers restlessly, and keeps looking at me. I have no experience with animals, so I have no idea what the dog's behaviour means. I can read the officers well, but what am I supposed to do with that Shepard?

"You mind if we come in?" the short officer asks, looking a little chilled outside.

"Not at all!"

The two officers take the offer, much to my displeasure. I was hoped that simply acting naturally would make them just go away, but they still want to explore inside. However, I can't deny them access, that'll only paint me in a bad light. Is this fake smile of mine not enough? Or are they not taking my word for it?

They step inside and I close the door behind them. The dog obediently follows behind them as they walk towards the living room and take off their hats. They look exhausted, this is probably close to the end of their shift, and they glance over to the sofa.

They want to sit down, don't they?

"Why don't you take a seat? I can make some tea for you." I suggest, really hoping they'll refuse.

"Well," the tall officer chuckled. "That sounds perfect, thank you."

Damn.

Damn it all.

The two policemen motion towards the living room and step onto the carpet. I glare from afar, watching them slowly walk closer and closer to the spot where I had put the glass under. My hands slowly shake behind my back.

I grab whatever is left of the tea I had made for Amai and pour it into two glasses. I then place them onto a small tray and walk over to them. They glance at the sofa at the same time, but I carefully move to the _other_ sofa and put the tea on the table in front of it.

"Here you go, officers!"

The two of them instinctively move to the other sofa and I can find myself breathing again.

If they had sat on _that_ sofa, they would've felt the smashed paintings hidden underneath. Thankfully, I was able to lead them to the other one without raising suspicion.

Quick thinking, Ayano.

They sit down and slowly drink the tea. It's slightly cold since it's not new, but they don't seem to notice. I glare at the dog again. It keeps staring at me, its tongue stuck out and its ears pointed upwards, and I slowly find myself losing my nerve. I can fool two policemen if I'm cautious, but will the dog be able to sniff out the blood in the house or discover the hidden glass? I have no idea, but everyone knows that dogs have incredibly keen senses, so I'm completely on the edge. Outside, I may look calm, but I'm completely breaking down on the inside.

"Also, miss," the tall officer suddenly starts talking, putting the tea down. "We aren't here to waste your time, we came to discuss a strange matter too."

"Oh? What is it?" I say in the most innocent tone I can manage.

"You see, we received the complaint a while ago, and it took us a little longer than usual to get here because of something, err, weird."

The short officer nodded. "We ran the address given by the complaint through the system, but we couldn't find your house."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"We're not sure. Eventually we found out it has been registered as the Aishi household, but we had to find the place by paper, you're not in the system."

"That's odd." I admit.

"Did your parents happen to be forgetful? Did they not register themselves, by any chance?"

"I don't think so," I answer honestly, feeling genuinely surprised. "They wouldn't forget something so important."

Yes, Mother would _never_ forget.

She's one of the most careful and mindful people I know. She always knows every little nook and cranny, always remembers anything that could be important, and has never made a mistake. I always thought it was simply the way she was born, a cautious and alert person. I could never think of another reason why she was always so careful all the time. A neat freak? A controlling person? She seemed to be all of those things, wrapped up into one, odd packet.

So, for her to forget something as important as properly registering this property as ours? Highly unlikely.

What game are you trying to play at, Mother? Is there a reason why you didn't register properly? You might be able to fool others, but you cannot fool me. If you chose not to do something, then you made that choice for a very specific reason. I cannot understand what it is, but now that I have this information, I'll have to make sure I look at the details. You really are a sneaky one, Mother, there's no denying that.

"Do you want me to ask my parents when they arrive?" I ask.

"Yes, that would be a huge help. Being registered into the system is very important and needs to be done."

"Okay, I'll be sure to let them know."

"Thank you, little girl, that's very-" the short officer began.

But he pauses and frowns.

He slowly begins scratching his back and gives an irritated look. His partner looks at him and becomes concerned.

"What's wrong, man?"

The short officer grumbles. "Something…itches."

He pulls out a small strand of light brown hair from underneath him. I stare at the hair and almost have a heart attack. I _completely_ forgot about the hair I pulled out of Amai, and didn't even clean it up. How could I have been so reckless? That should have been the very first thing I cleaned up. How the hell am I supposed to explain something like that?

"Hair?" the tall officer mumbles in disbelief. "Why on earth…"

"It's my mother's!" I suddenly shout.

"Your…mother's?"

"Yes! She, um, hasn't cleaned out that sofa in a really long time. Her hair is practically all over it now. I'm _really_ sorry!"

The short officer gives a quick glance to his partner and slowly puts the strand of hair onto the table in front of them. His expression becomes gradually more difficult to read, and I have no way of telling either or not he bought it. My hands are becoming more and more sweaty and I can feel myself slowly slip. The stress is killing me.

Two policemen are in my _house_. This fact alone is already very hard to fathom. This is the worst possible situation I could ever find myself in, and my mind is becoming cloudy and I'm losing my keenness to all the thoughts inside my head. I'm breaking down in this situation, and I'm not sure how long I can hold this façade. They might have already seen through it for all I know.

"Is that so…" the short officer mutters, looking at the hair.

"I'm sorry, it must make you a little uncomfortable."

"No, no. It's, err, fine. We're intruding on your hospitality anyway."

"Not at all, you're very welcome here." I lie through gritted teeth.

Their German Shepard slowly walks over to me, his head close to my rested hands. It's still looking at me after all this time. It makes a few noises and eventually brushes its head against my right hand, its ears carefully lowering.

"Ah," the tall officer grins. "He likes you."

"That's…nice."

This is incredibly disturbing. I couldn't care less about this stupid dog, or any dogs in general. Animals are filthy and he's being extremely distracting.

I need to focus here, dog, so just go away.

The dog rubs its head against me couple more times but immediately comes to a halt. It raises its head and its ears spring upwards without warning. It glares at me and remains silent. The officers watch closely, uncertain of what he was doing, but eventually the German Shepard begins to growl. The growl is low-pitched, ominous, and the dog looks away from me and slowly prowls its way to the kitchen.

"What's wrong, boy?" the short officer says, sounding concerned.

The two of them get up and watch the German Shepard's behaviour, looking genuinely confused.

My eyes widen and I feel myself sinking down into my seat as the dog suddenly looks vigilant. What is it doing? Did it sense that something was amidst? It's growling, so obviously something is wrong, but what's making the dog react this way out of the blue?

My hand.

Oh no.

It was just rubbing its head on my hand, did it smell blood or something? I washed my hands though, can it still pick up the scent from that?

I am not prepared to go against an animal and its enhanced senses.

It continues to prowl into the kitchen, its nose glued to the floor. It keeps sniffing, over and over, as though it's trying to find a trail. The officers slowly leave me and follow carefully behind the German Shepard, their expressions now cold and firm.

"Is everything alright?" I ask as I get out of my chair.

"Ma'am," the short officer snaps back. "Please remain seated."

I want to protest and get up, but they already feel as though something is wrong or out of place. I stay in my chair, but my eyes are completely focused on the dog now. I watch as it keeps searching the floor, sniffing quickly and frantically.

I glance at the fork at the living room table and start to consider if I can kill them with it. If I do, they'll be even more blood on my hands, but they'll stop searching the house. They cannot find out about Amai, they just _can't._

My glare at the German Shepard gradually sharpens. I wish with all my heart and soul that it just drops dead right now. It's making this situation look suspicious, and it's trying to find something that will convince the policemen that I'm guilty of something. And with that stupid dog's senses, it'll then find Amai's corpse in the garden and…

Oh god, please just let this be a dream.

"Hey," the tall officer glares at his partner, his hand close to his gun. "I think we found something."

* * *

Info-chan slowly crawled out of bed.

Her alarm blared obnoxiously, and she wondered why she even set one in the first place.

She got up and slapped the snooze button on the clock. The feeling of doziness set upon her quickly, but she forced herself to get up anyway. She had been up all night once again, and now she felt horrible. She got to her feet and wandered over to her computer, blinking a few times to readjust her eyes to the screen's brightness.

Her contacts had gradually begun to find more and more information for her. That much was good, and she grinned as more notes popped up onto the screen. This was exactly what she needed, people just feeding her more and more data. It was a satisfying feeling.

Now she was protected by the authorities _and_ had all of her contacts back. For the first time in a _very_ long time, she felt powerful again.

Info-chan glanced down at her phone. It was showing a notification.

A missed call from Aishi.

"Great." she grumbled. "That's going to come back to haunt me."

But Aishi had told her to never call back, and that Aishi would call Info-chan herself. Info-chan wanted to call and see what was going on, but she wouldn't disobey an order. She had already screwed up by missing the call.

Instead of worrying about it, Aishi sat down by the computer and put on her glasses.

She had already done her research on Akademi High's Student Council President, but recently she had asked her contacts to look into something different. That mystery man that kept interfering with her, she wanted to know just who he was and if he had any connections to Aishi.

And she had found out that the man went by the name 'Boss'. Nothing else.

He had run some kind of mafia, but it disbanded a while back. She wondered what a mafia leader would want with Aishi, but unfortunately, she couldn't find any more info about him except for an alias. Boss didn't nearly have enough influence and power as Info-chan originally anticipated, but he was still good at covering his tracks.

She grinned. This was actually a little fun.

That man still pissed her off, but it was nice to have a challenge. Serving Aishi gave her plenty of excitement, sure, but she also had her hands full with other business too.

Her phone began to ring. Info-chan smiled, thinking that Aishi had called again.

But when she looked at the screen, she saw a different number displayed on it. It was one of her contacts. Disappointed, Info-chan let out a heavy sigh and answered the call.

"Talk to me."

A man, middle-aged, spoke softly. "You assigned me to watch duty on Aishi today."

"I remember. What is it?"

"I think she's in trouble."

"Trouble?"

"She came back home an hour ago with someone, and I heard sounds of a struggle going on inside."

Info-chan almost fell out of her chair.

"W-Who did she bring home?!"

"No idea. Young girl, same uniform, brown hair."

Info-chan thought for a moment. Amai Serju? The Cooking Club President? She already knew that Aishi was involved with that person, but there was no explaining why Aishi would ever bring that girl to her household. And the sounds of a struggle…why would Aishi attack someone in her own house? None of it added up in Info-chan's mind.

"Well, don't worry. Aishi can handle a schoolgirl, I would know." Info-chan eventually answered.

"That's not all, boss."

"What do you mean?"

"Soon after that, two policemen arrived."

Info-chan sprung upwards and stood up from her chair. Her grip on the phone tightened and she felt her heart sink. Her glasses fell off and landed on her desk, but she hardly noticed.

" _Policemen?!"_

"Yeah, and a dog."

Info-chan felt herself become cold. "Oh god…"

Her worst nightmare had been realized. She had always known that Aishi would fall into something too deep, but she had specifically warned about such a thing to Aishi herself, how could this have still happened. Killing someone in your own home, what the hell was she thinking? It was one thing to be a little reckless, but to be an absolute fool and throw your life away?

"Boss?"

Info-chan held the phone back next to her ear. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for?! Go help her!"

The contact chuckled. "And meddle in the affairs of the police? Sorry, but you don't pay me _that_ much."

"Damn it, just do something!"

"Like what?"

Info-chan thought for a moment.

Any contacts she knew that would actually interfere were at least an hour away, this contact was the one available to her right now. But he wasn't willing to create an intervention. She couldn't save Aishi or pull her out of this situation, but was there anything else she could manage?

"Create a distraction." Info-chan quickly ordered.

"A distraction?"

"Yes, just something that can give Aishi a chance to escape or figure something out."

The contact remained silent for a few moments, probably pondering on what exactly he could pull off, but he eventually grumbled reluctantly.

"Well, they're at the bottom floor…" he slowly spoke. "If I…throw a rock at the window on the top floor, they might take the bait…"

"Then do it."

"It'll only give your friend a moment to do something, maybe a minute, tops."

"That's fine, as long as we can do something."

"Alright," the contact grumbled again, sounding tired. "I'll do it."

"Good, hurry."

The contact ended the call.

He put the phone down and stared at the Aishi household from his car, scratching the back of his head.

He despised _ever_ getting involved with the police, but Info-chan still paid him well and he didn't want to lose his only job today. Besides, he could at least muster up a small distraction, right…?

"I'm getting too old for this shit." the contact muttered under his breath as he got out of the car.

Slowly and carefully, he moved closer to the house. The lights were still on but the curtains were closed. He couldn't see anything that was going on inside. He didn't even know if Aishi had been arrested yet. If she had been, then this whole thing would just be a huge waste of his time, but he had to do it anyway…just in case.

He walked over to the side of the house and looked at the ground for any rocks. He scavenged through the dirt and found one, smaller than what he was looking for, but he really didn't care. He held it firm in his right hand, stared at the window high up, and started to take aim. The window was quite high, probably on a second floor or something, so he knew this may take a few tries.

He tossed the first one and it misses, not reaching the height of the window. He groaned and grabbed another one off the ground. This one was slightly larger, so he knew he needed to throw with a little more power.

He threw it and watched as the top window shattered.

Glass drops down and he quickly gets out of the way. He looks upwards and whistles, he hadn't expected to actually _break_ the glass. His only goal was to make some kind of noise.

Though that shattering made _plenty_ of noise, so now it was time for him to split.

There was no way the policemen inside didn't hear that, and that could mean that Aishi could do something now. He didn't know for sure, but his work here was done. He rushed back to the car, turned it on, and drove off. He wasn't sticking around the place any longer.

He looked back at the house once more as he left the neighbourhood, thinking about the helpless Ayano Aishi.

"Good luck, rookie."

* * *

The policemen and the German Shepard immediately stop searching the living room and kitchen as a large smash from upstairs echoes throughout the house.

"The hell was that?" the short officer growls, then looks at me. "You, stay here!"

The two of them and the dog rush upstairs, expecting someone to be there.

They already suspect that something is wrong, and the dog almost picked up the scent of Amai's corpse. It's only a matter of time until they find this and I'm done for.

But this distraction means something, they think someone might be hiding on the other level. Who did this? Who smashed something upstairs?

Who cares. I need to figure something out right _now._

Against the policeman's instructions, I jump out of my chair and dart over to the garden outside.

There has to be something I can do. Please, just anything. There has to be some way I can quickly dispose of her body. Burying it like this just isn't going to help me, they have a dog with them. I highly doubt a dog's keen senses will be stopped just by a small layer of dirt. I need to think of sure-fire way to keep Amai's body hidden, and I do not have time as a luxury.

Think, Aishi, think. You got yourself into this mess, now you need to get yourself out. Running won't help, they'll still find the body and everyone will know that I'm a murderer, including Senpai. That cannot happen. Ever.

But I can't think of anything. My mind is drawing a complete blank here. I've always had a plan, always thought through an event before jumping into it, but I can't just come up with something on the fly. The policemen are experienced and they have a tracking animal, and I have a buried body in my garden with nothing to do except pray that they don't find it. Even if I can lure the policemen away from the garden, which in itself is unlikely, how am I supposed to keep the dog away. It's got perfect senses, it's not like you can simply throw it off or-

A sound to my left startles me. The sound of a meow.

I glance downwards and see a black cat. The neighbourhood's black cat, the one that would always greet me on my way to school. It stares at me and meows again, probably expecting some food.

But something conjures up in my mind. An idea out of nowhere. I don't know why it came to me, but it…feels natural.

You.

You, small cat. You are my way out.

My hands slowly reach out towards the cat. It glares at me and looks uneasy, but doesn't run away. I give it a calm smile and speak to it in the softest voice I can muster.

"Come here, kitty. Come into my arms."

The black cat gradually comes closer and I hold the small animal in my arms. It slowly purrs as I lift it off the ground. It keeps looking me in the eyes, its purring causing a small vibration. I smile at it and walk over to the location of Amai's buried corpse.

"You're going to be my saviour, kitty."

I grab the cat's head and twist it to the side, watching it shriek then quickly go limp. Its body eventually goes cold and I close its eyes. Hopefully, the policemen didn't hear the cat from upstairs.

I toss the dead cat onto the ground and grab the shovel, digging out the earth and placing it quickly onto the cat's body. The cat was really small, so it doesn't take long to cover it in some dirt, but for my plan to work the cat needs to be covered in a _lot_ of it. It needs to seem like the cat has been buried for a really long time, that's the only way this improvisational scheme of mine will ever be pulled off.

I hear footsteps slowly reaching closer to the stairs. They might come back down at any moment, I need to finish up here and get back inside to-

The tall officer comes down the stairs and sees me in the garden. He rushes over to me, without his partner, and glares at me with sharp eyes.

"What are you doing here? Stay in the living room."

"I…I just-"

"Stand aside, ma'am."

I obey and move out of the way, watching as the short officer comes down with the dog following beside him.

"There's no one upstairs." the short officer grumbles.

But the German Shepard immediately picks up the scent it was sniffing before, just like I expected it to. It begins growling again and carefully approaches the garden.

"Hey," the tall officer looks to his partner. "I think he's found something."

The dog prowls past me and quickly finds the spot where Amai is buried. It circles around the area, trying to sniff it its exact location, and after a few moments it begins barking. Its barks are loud and unpleasant to listen to, but I stand there and watch silently as the policemen slowly step closer to Amai's burial area.

Senpai's face flashes in front of me for a moment. This is all or nothing. If the policemen find Amai, I'm completely done for and I'll never live with Senpai, we'll never be together. This all rides on the chance that my improvised plan somehow pulls through. I still don't understand much about dogs, but if I can throw it off, then perhaps I can still save myself from this situation. It's a long shot, there's no denying that, but I'm already as desperate as I've ever been. This is my only chance to ever cover up Amai's death and avoid being labelled as a criminal. I can't see Senpai if I'm in prison, and he'll never love me if he knows what I've done.

The dog's tail begins to waggle and the policemen stand by, watching carefully. The tall one frowns and looks closely at the freshly-dug up dirt in front of them.

"Something is buried."

The short officer looks at the shovel on the ground and picks it up. He glances at me for a second then stands above Amai's grave.

"Let's see what we've got here…"

He gradually digs up the dirt I had set on the ground, his partner standing next to me, making sure I don't try to pull anything. I have to stand there and simply watch as he digs ever so closer to Amai's corpse in the earth.

The soil and dirt gives way as he digs further and further down. The dog keeps waggling its tail and stares at the dug up hole, trying to see what it has sniffed out. Eventually, the short officer stops digging and carefully takes the shovel out of the ground.

"I can't believe it…" he whispers.

I gasp. My voice gets caught in my throat. My muscles become weak.

"You damn mutt!" the officer roars at the dog. "You made me dig up a _cat?!_ "

The tall officer standing next to me relaxes himself and gives out an exasperated sigh. He places his hands on his hips and walks over to his partner, taking the shovel slowly out of his hands. He stares back at me for a moment, then regretfully back to the short officer.

"Do you realize what we've done?" he sighs again. "We just dug up a little girl's pet!"

The other officer grimaces and looks ashamed of himself. He carefully moves away and lets his partner take the dirt and place it back onto the dead cat. He then advances towards me and kneels down, looking incredibly sorrowful.

"I'm, err, sorry about that. We didn't know."

I shake my head very slowly, in complete disbelief. "It's…okay."

They…bought it…?

The two officers scold the German Shepard a few more times then go back inside the house. I follow behind them, expecting them to suddenly turn around and arrest me, but they…keep on walking. They grab the hats they had taken off and head back to the living room, staring at their unfinished cups of tea. They look at the cups for the longest time, most likely contemplating whether or not to stick around and finish it out of courtesy, but they eventually turn away.

"We're sorry for taking up your time." the tall officer says, placing his hat back onto his head.

"Yes, and we apologize for our dog. He…tends to do this." the other one grumbles angrily.

"Don't worry about it…" I murmur.

The tall officer opens the door and smiles. "Thank you for your hospitality."

They then turn on their heels, give me one last smile, and leave through the front door. I slowly close the door behind them and blink a few times, my mind feeling extremely numb and clouded. I remain stood there for almost the longest time, waiting for them to come back and do something at any moment. Any second now they'll burst back in and arrest me, and everything will be over…

Several minutes pass, I gradually start to breathe normally again. They haven't come back. They actually left my house. They're no longer even near to Amai's corpse. The only person left in my home now is just myself. That thrown-together plan of mine…succeeded.

All thanks to whatever that sound upstairs was. I was otherwise a complete goner.

I collapse to the floor and lie down, just needing to rest for a second. Even though I can think and breathe properly again, my heart is still pounding crazily like there's no tomorrow. Every part of me feels weak and worn out. My cheeks are still moist from the tears I cried earlier out of fear, I was absolutely certain that everything I ever worked for came to an end. Two actual policemen had entered my house, had become suspicious of me, but still left without any repercussions.

None of this could have happened without the policemen wanting to check upstairs. Some kind of loud bang had given me a short window of time to do something, but just what was that noise? Whoever it was, they had saved me at the most perfect time, any later than that and I would've been finished, there's absolutely no question about that. Someone had risked helping me out. There's no other explanation. We've never had anything thrown at our house or anything, this isn't that kind of neighbourhood, so the fact that it happened _and_ it was so well-timed is baffling. Who could've pulled off such a thing? They would need to know where I leave, what was going on, and have a reason to help me and-

Oh.

Info-chan, you sneaky person.

I pull out my phone, call Info-chan, and place it close to my ear. It rings once and Info-chan's voice immediately bursts through the line.

"Aishi?! What happened?!"

I close my eyes. "I screwed up."

"How?"

"I brought Amai over as a…'friend', I wanted to convince her to stay out of my business."

"And? What did you do?"

"Um," I hesitate, still finding no memories to root through. "I don't know, actually. I think I just…lost it."

"Damn it, Aishi…"

"I called to ask you one thing, Info-chan." I mutter. "There was something thrown at my house. Was that you?"

"Not me, no, but one of my associates. He couldn't interfere directly, but he was able to pull off that, at least."

"So, if this associate of yours was _very_ close to my home…" I slowly put the pieces together. "You have people watching me, don't you?"

Info-chan takes a few seconds to respond. "It's not what you think."

"I don't appreciate that."

"Aishi, I'm just looking out for you. That's my job."

"No. Your 'job' is to give me information or resources when I need it. Got that?"

"Fine."

"And next time," I mumble. "Answer when I need you to."

"Wait!" Info-chan suddenly speaks as I almost end the call. "You, err, want to say anything else?"

"Like what?"

"A 'thank you', maybe? I _did_ save your skin, Aishi."

I remain silent for the longest time, long enough to make sure Info-chan becomes uncomfortable, then end the call.

"Bye."

I then toss the phone away and breathe deeply.

My worries slowly wash away, my heart eventually beats at a normal pace, and I feel like myself again.

And I smile.

Not one of those fake smiles I've put on throughout the entirety of my life. No, that smile isn't present right now, and I have absolutely no need to put it on. My happiness is real. I haven't lost my Senpai, and I still have every opportunity to make him mine.

And even after all this madness, and even after knowing how perilous this journey is…

I'll do it.

I'll always be willing to do it.

"Senpai, are you proud of me…?"


	28. No 25: Read My Mind

In just the span of three days, everyone was talking about Amai's disappearance.

Students from the school were quick to create and plaster posters of her all over the vicinity. They all panicked and wondered where their kind and supportive Cooking President had gone, and the police also joined the search.

Some people assumed that Amai had run from home, while others feared that something may have happened to her. They tried to find a trail, but they simply couldn't find one.

More than anything, people were worried about Amai's father. He had finally gotten rid of his debt and he had a chance to make his daughter happy after all those painful years of their struggle. For her to suddenly disappear without a trace was certainly shattering.

It feels like I'm the only one glad about Amai's demise.

Sure, it hadn't been part of the plan, but it was satisfying nevertheless. Sticking so close to Senpai during the afterschool activities, she was simply asking to be killed. I was happy to oblige.

That day was a nightmare, however. There's no denying it, I was almost arrested for what I did. I had constructed an entire plan around my friendship with Amai. I would get us close to each other, then manipulate her to the point where she wouldn't even get near Senpai, and everything would be fine. There wouldn't be a trail to cover up or the police to avoid. Instead, however, I threw the whole thing out of a window because I simply couldn't control myself. My hatred for the Cooking Club President nullified my sense of reasoning. I slipped up.

If I hadn't received Info-chan's assistance that time, I would unquestionably be behind bars by now. She saved me.

But still after three days, I am still recovering.

Not physically, no. Physically, I am perfectly alright. It's more of a mental stress that's fallen upon me. Before I found my precious Senpai, I had _never_ done these things, but now I was doing it frequently and tiringly often. There's no denying the fact that it is taking a toll on me. I'm exhausted.

So, I've been resting. I watch Senpai from afar and attend school normally. This is the life I know, the life I had before girls started getting to close him. This is the kind of daily schedule that I prefer. Things are so simple this way, and I can enjoy every wonderful thing about Senpai without any worries. This way of living is all I've ever asked for. I can watch my invaluable Senpai without any hinderance.

It turns out that with the changing weather, Senpai has been down with a slight cold. It's minor, so he can still come to school, but he's been sneezing more often. I've been observing it all very closely. It's so adorable and pleasant to hear. Its pitch, the way his face contorts before he sneezes, and everything else about it is just…perfect.

The other day I was able to get my hands on one of the tissues he used before sneezing. I had to wait until everyone in the classroom left, but it was undoubtedly worth it. I've stored it nice and well in my bedroom and I've been sure to not rub it anywhere. If it even scraps against something, some of his snot could fall off the tissue, rendering it useless.

Another piece of good news? No girls have been circling around Senpai since Amai's 'disappearance'. I was on edge at first, constantly checking to see if anyone even looked at Senpai for too long, but I found nothing. It seems as though no one will be bothering the two of us anymore. That's nice.

But I'll still keep my eyes open.

Since what happened, Akademi High is starting to pop up on the news more and more. A respectable high school that has recently been hit with tragedies over and over. People are beginning to talk, and I heard four students left the school because of superstition.

Still, Akademi High seems to be handling the situation well, despite all that is going on. They've been able to calm everyone down on several occasions, and even keep the stories vague when they appear on the media.

Am I surprised? No.

It's all the Student Council President's doing. With her wealth and influence in this city, forcing media outlets and the authorities to mostly keep quiet about what is going on must be as easy as snapping her fingers. This school has been the centre of controversy, investigation, and mysteries, but none has actually fazed it yet. Security hasn't even changed yet since Amai's disappearance. Take away the mourning of parents and students, and it's almost like nothing ever happened.

I have to hand it to the Council President and this school, they're determined to keep their property from being taken down.

One thing has changed, however.

Teachers noticed how students were becoming more paranoid and afraid, so they've set up short counselling sessions for every student. This helped parents remain calm and optimistic, since every session was confirmed to be completely free of charge.

Clever.

Some students saw this change as pointless, while others admitted that they desperately needed it. No matter the case, however, it became mandatory for everyone. Every student has a counselling session once a week, and can request for more if they feel the need. Even if you think you're fine, they still say that you are required to attend it and get evaluated.

I definitely see no use. There's nothing to gain from it. I'm not part of the fickle bunch that has been dramatized by the recent events. Sure, it's partially because _I_ am the one behind it all, but something like this wouldn't bother me even if it wasn't my doing. Everyone fears for their lives and are always watching their backs, even if they pretend not to be.

I lurch forward on the bench and heave a heavy sigh.

It's almost the end of the school day, and I'm sitting in the small courtyard positioned within the interior of the building. It's rather relaxing and I can just sit here, able to recollect my thoughts.

Boys and girls are standing instead, chatting away at one another.

Only one other girl has bothered to sit down on these benches. She's on the other bench, most of her face covered by her hair.

I noticed her a few minutes ago. She's sat down and not said a word in a long time, choosing to simply stare at others instead, like me. It looks like I'm not the only one who is an observer.

Thanks to her, I don't look out of place.

I've seen her many times around school. With her hair obstructing the view, I've never actually seen what she looks like, but I can tell that she's more of an introvert.

Like me.

She's always alone and never around other people. She probably doesn't have any friends.

Truth be told, I haven't made any proper friends at Akademi High yet either, which makes blending in slightly more difficult. If I had a few 'friends', I could've gossiped and laughed with them to fit in better, but that isn't the case. The only friend I was able to get was Amai.

And she's, well, gone.

I check my phone. It's twelve already. That means I need to get moving.

I've got my own 'therapy' session to go to. There's no point in protesting either, the school isn't about to take no for an answer.

I get off the bench and head back into the school building. Fresh, cooling air hits my face the moment I open up the doors, all thanks to the air conditioning.

Brushing past a few students, I fall into the main hallway.

I'm dreading this, honestly. It's incredibly annoying to do such things, but it's only once a week, so I'm forced to just muster through it. All I really need to do is smile, say what the therapist wants to hear, and wait patiently until our time is up. It's like its own torture session, and you have to just wait it out.

I walk up the staircase with my bag on my shoulder. Currently, they've set up their room on the second floor.

Once I'm up, I wander over to the room and stand hesitantly in front of it.

I _really_ don't want to do this, even if it's only for a couple of minutes. Even if it's not that difficult to go through, it's still undeniably frustrating. I don't _need_ this. Some feeble weaklings in this school might need something like this every now and then, but I am most certainly not one of them. Why does the school even enforce such a stupid and wasteful thing onto us?

My hand slowly motions towards the door and I shake my head.

Life's tough, Ayano. Just go with it.

I knock on the door a few times and wait for a response. It takes a couple of moments, but eventually the door opens and I'm immediately greeted with a bright, cheerful smile.

"Ah, hello!" a middle-aged woman exclaims. "How are you today?"

"Great."

"That's good to hear." she says as she glances at the folder in her left hand. "Are you here for an appointment, Miss…?"

"Aishi."

"Miss Aishi." the woman repeats back happily. "That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Oh dear, there's no need to be so formal." the woman laughs. "Please, call me Miss Greens."

"Okay, Miss Greens."

Greens opens up the door the whole way and I step inside.

There's a small desk in the middle of the room, with two chairs. There are plants scattered on every shelf, beside every window, and one on her armrest. The wallpapers of the room are also coloured completely in a sky blue tint. As I sit down on one of the chairs, I even notice an orange lava lamp on her table.

This place disgusts me.

Greens watches me sit down, then walks over to her filing cabinet and begins to search for my file. Once she finds it, she pulls it out and begins skimming through it with her smile growing larger.

"Oh!" she giggles, still reading through its contents. "It looks like this is your first appointment, isn't it?"

"That's right."

"Feeling nervous?"

"No."

Miss Greens motions towards the table, places down a small, red timer, and sits down on the chair opposite me.

"That's good." Greens smiles again. "Some of the students I get are very shy. You're not shy?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay, well, can you tell me a bit about yourself?"

This part is a little difficult.

I definitely don't feel like telling her anything, but she wants to know more about me.

I suppose I'll just go with family.

But even _that_ is a challenge. My family isn't exactly ordinary anyway. Even if I had more time to think of a way to explain my family in a normal manner, I wouldn't succeed. Mother is the stranger one out of the two of them, considering the weird vibe she always gives off, and how…slippery she seems.

And Father? He could be a rotting corpse in our living room, and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. He shows no emotion. He says around three words in an entire year. He doesn't even seem alive for the most part.

I'll just have to settle on idle chit-chat instead. Going into detail will only harm my reputation.

"I live in a small neighbourhood near the school, my mother chose the area because it's quiet." I finally answer.

"Ah," she nods as she keeps writing things down on her folder. "Do you like it there?"

"It's okay."

"Can you tell me more about your parents? What are they like?"

"My mother is…interesting, and my father is pretty quiet all the time."

"What do you mean by interesting?"

"Well," I hesitant, unsure of the meaning myself. "I guess I never know what's on her mind."

"I see." she murmurs. "Do you all get along well?"

"Yes."

"And how about school? Do you enjoy it?"

I look a little upset, showing her the reaction she wants to see. "Not recently, miss."

"Why's that?"

"The things that have been going on…it's scary."

"Oh, don't worry, dear. You're as safe as you can be in this school." Miss Greens says calmly, trying to reassure me. "And I'm sure our Cooking President will be found soon."

I highly doubt that.

Info-chan had already seen to that. Amai's dead body couldn't remain in my backyard, so she disposed it for me. I have no idea what Info-chan actually did with the corpse, but she's promised that it'll never be recovered.

"Yes," I say as I give a fake smile. "I truly hope so."

"Can you tell me your interests, Aishi? Is there anything you do in your free time? I'd like to know what inspires you."

"Err," I hesitate. "I draw."

"You draw? What of?"

I'm just making this up as I go along. "Flowers, trees, butterflies. Anything to do with nature, really."

"That's wonderful! Activities like drawing can really soothe the mind, and also bring out an artistic side of you."

"Yes…"

"How often do you draw?"

"Every now and then."

This is horrifically boring.

Here I am, getting evaluated mentally by some nobody. I could be outside, maybe snapping another precious photo of Senpai, yet I'm stuck right here, doing nothing. What is even the point of this? If it's supposed to make me feel better in any way, then it's failing. If it's supposed to calm me, it's failing. If it's supposed to make me see things in a different perspective, then it is failing _spectacularly_.

What even makes this woman so special? Who suddenly decided that she knew how the human mind works? If she is actually a professional, shouldn't she be able to see past my façade and notice how incredibly bored and indifferent I am of this entire session?

No.

Because she's not an expert. She doesn't know how minds work, not really. She only pretends to, and it only ever works on the other simple-minded fools that attend this school. I don't need help. I don't need an evaluation. I don't need any of this.

Yet, I have to silently go through it.

"Good, good…" Greens mutters, jotting more information down on her folder again. "I'm quite envious of you, I must admit."

"Thank you, Miss Greens."

"What about your social life? Do you have many friends at this school?"

I shuffle uncomfortably in my chair and slowly shake my head. There's no point of lying about this.

"No, Miss. I do not have any friends here."

"Oh? Are you a new student?"

"No, I've been here for a while."

"Oh dear." she frowns, looking genuinely upset. "That's terrible. Is there any reason why you don't have any?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I'm just not interested."

"In friends?"

"Yeah,"

Miss Greens nods slowly. "So…you don't _want_ friends."

"I suppose so."

"What about special relationships? Do you have any interest in those?"

Oh.

Is she asking me if I have a crush on someone?

"Do you mean like love, Miss Greens?"

"Yes." Miss Greens chirps cheerfully. "I'd like to know if something like that is occupying your mind."

"Is it important?"

"Oh, yes. It could be the main reason why you have difficulty making friends. If you are already interested in a different kind of relationship, it might make it hard to focus on anything else. Tell me, Aishi, do you feel that way about someone? Is there a person that makes you feel special?"

Special?

To say that Senpai only makes me feel special would be a drastic understatement.

He makes me feel alive. My entire life, I felt so empty. I felt just like an empty husk. Nothing ever made me happy. Nothing ever made me sad. Nothing could even succeed to get a reaction out of me. My world was in black and white. I was a lifeless mess.

It's all because of Senpai that I'm alive now. The moment he came into my life, I was able to function like a normal person. Now I can feel angry, happy, sad, and all the other basic human emotions because of him. He brings out the humanity inside me, the thing I had been missing for so very long. My heart beats only for him, and I exist only to be by his side.

"Yes, there is." I answer. "But he doesn't only make me feel special. It's more than that."

Miss Greens doesn't lose her smile. "I see. Can you possibly elaborate on that?"

I _could_ explain that I'm willing to do anything for Senpai. That I'm willing to kill every last creature that ever gets too comfortable around him until the end of my days.

And that all the girls that have died or gone missing so far has all been to ensure Senpai and I's relationship.

But, for obvious reasons, I cannot.

The timer on Miss Greens' table begins to erupt and the two of us glance over to it, our conversation ending abruptly.

It's over. Our session has finally come to an end. I can leave this place and get back to my classes. Even though Greens seems to be having the time of her life, I couldn't be any more thankful to hear that timer go off.

"Oh, my." Miss Greens laughs. "I hardly noticed the time. Our talk has come to its finish, I'm afraid."

"It's been a delight." I lie through gritted teeth.

"Likewise." she nods.

I get up from my chair, grab my schoolbag, and slowly head towards the door.

But just before I'm about to leave, Miss Greens stops me in my tracks. She looks eager and intrigued.

"By the way," she speaks with humility. "Aishi, who is this special person?"

With a large, genuine grin, I turn back at her and decide to be completely honest with her for once.

When she hears my words, she begins laughing at the 'joke' I had said, but didn't realize just how heavy they actually were.

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."


	29. No 26: When It Kicks In

I don't feel well.

As I raise my head and look down at my pillow, I see blood stains and long strands of hair.

I grunt and slowly dig myself out of the bed covers. It feels like the inside of my head is burning and my throat feels painfully dry. I cough and wheeze as I sit up.

I feel like utter garbage.

Do I have a fever? No, that doesn't explain the blood on my pillow, or the fallen hair. Whatever this is, it's serious.

I roll out of bed and stand on my feet. It's difficult. Surprisingly difficult.

I grab my school clothes and slip into them. My arms struggle to lift themselves and my body feels heavier than usual. This is most definitely concerning. Why do I feel like this?

I could tell Mother, but I don't really like telling her things. If I can keep something to myself, then I usually go with that option. Perhaps it will subside soon anyway.

But with that blood…

For now, I need to focus on school. I have to stay close to Senpai and make sure that he's still faithful to me. That's my daily routine. A little illness isn't about to stop me from doing that. If it gets any worse, I guess I could go see the school nurse about it, but there's no point in worrying about it now. Besides, I'm gradually beginning to feel better as I stretch my legs.

I go downstairs. Mother is waiting at the bottom and has a bright smile on display.

"Good morning, sweetie. Hurry and eat your breakfast so you can make it to school on time."

I don't bother returning the smile. "Fine."

I walk over to the kitchen and see Mother head towards the living room.

I glance down at the kitchen table. Pancakes. Two of them. Maple syrup carefully implemented on top.

This'll do.

As I sit down, the feeling of weakness gradually seeps back in. My body has no energy at all, my arms and legs ache terribly, and everything looks a little blurred.

I haven't been part of any physical activities lately, so I'm unsure what the case could be. Back when girls were showing up around Senpai left and right, I got myself into dangerous situations and ended up battering my own health in the process, but things have been peaceful recently. No more girls have decided to stick close to Senpai or look at him for too long, so there's been no reason for me to push myself. These past few weeks I've been able to get my life back to normal, simply attending school and admiring Senpai from afar. I've done nothing lately that could be affecting me with this strange predicament.

I continuously recall different events in my mind as I bite into the first pancake.

Did I do anything too difficult for me at school recently? Something that would exert extra energy out of me?

No.

Did I recently consume something hazardous?

No.

Could this be an allergic reaction to something? It seems unlikely. As far as I know, I do not possess any allergies. On top of that, I haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary either.

I look down at my hands and see my fork on my plate. I dropped it without noticing. I cannot properly pick it back up either, my fingers now feel unbearably numb. I hold the fork with my other hand instead and grimace as my headache slowly becomes worse and worse.

This simply cannot do. I have to get to school today. I have to keep an eye on Senpai. Even if I'm feeling a little sickly, this cannot be what stops me to see my precious Senpai and look after him.

After finishing the first pancake, I immediately realize that it's impossible for me to eat the second one. My other hand is also numb and weak now, and my stomach is making a deep purr, growling out in pain. Consumption seems to only be making this more agonizing.

I push the plate away and try to get out of the chair.

My knees wobble and fail to support my weight, and I suddenly collapse back into the chair. This is utterly ridiculous, I should at least be able to stand and walk.

But the sensation of dizziness creeps in and it makes getting up even more difficult. I rub my eyes and try to get my vision back to normal, but it has decided to stay this way for a while.

Something crawls at the back of my throat. It's becoming harder to breathe. I cough a few times in order to clear my throat but it starts to feel more clogged up and tight.

Suddenly, whatever was at the back of my throat comes forward and I release a much louder cough.

I cough into my right hand and immediately feel it become moist. My lips also have some kind of liquid on it.

I glare at my hand and realize what I've coughed up.

Blood. A lot of it.

Instinctively, I rush towards the kitchen sink and wash the blood out of my hand and scrub my mouth clean. Mother cannot know about this, if she even sees a drop of blood she'll get curious.

I stare at the door. Mother hasn't entered the kitchen yet, she's still in the living room.

I'm able to stand again, but now I'm coughing up my own blood with any of my own input. This isn't right. This is more than just an illness or allergic reaction.

Feeling my body become weak again, I leave the kitchen and run back up the stairs to my bedroom.

As I reach the top of the stairs, my heart begins to race for no reason. It beats furiously in my chest and I cough up blood again. I smear it against the wall and gulp down whatever blood is still left in my mouth.

I cannot help it, I gasp weakly as I sit back down on my bed.

Think, Ayano. This isn't normal. You've done something for this to happen.

Something must have entered your system somehow, something that you don't know about. Even if it was a while ago, something was put into you for your body to be acting like this.

My head jerks up and my body goes cold.

An injection, perhaps.

Something that was pumped into me by someone else.

The drug injected into me at the Student Council President's factory?

It's the only thing I can actually think of. It was put into my blood without my consent, and it _is_ something that I don't fully understand. It's a completely foreign drug that hasn't been released to the public, so no one knows its properties…or its side effects.

But it's strange. That all happened a long time ago, and is just a distant memory now. If that drug possessed side effects like these, then I should've been hit with them much sooner. Even if it was a weak dosage or something, that still doesn't make sense to me. Yet, it's the most likely possibility at this point.

Mother cannot know about this. She cannot get involved, and I _highly_ doubt she would be able to do something about this anyway.

No, that simply won't do.

I could try to wait this out, maybe keep movement and physical exercise to a minimum and see if I get any better. It isn't the most safe solution, I must admit, but it seems the only logical one as well. I could slip into a hospital and pretend it's an emergency, but I doubt that'll work _and_ Mother might be informed about it anyway. Even if that did work out, the doctors would find out about the mystery drug.

Granted, if the public found out about the drug, it _could_ be traced back to the Student Council President and compromise her, but that's a very long shot.

That drug technically wasn't hers. She only wanted to inject me with adrenaline, it was someone else that replaced it with the mystery drug. A 'someone else' that neither Info-chan nor I know about.

I concentrate and try to think of other options, but nothing comes to mind. The only solution is waiting this out. There's no one I can go to for help, and there's no way I can find a doctor who would keep his or her mouth shut about the drug in my system. Bribery isn't an option either, since I don't have anything valuable and I have to put trust in them, which can _never_ happen.

I push myself off the bed and try to go back downstairs. School has almost started and I'm still not on the road.

Before I head down the first step, things go blurry again and I cough up more blood. It causes an involuntary growl out of me as it stains one of the lower steps with a red dye. I reach the step and rub the edge of my sock with it, hoping to get the colour out without needing to properly clean it. After a couple of rubs, the colour fades out and I decide that it's enough for now. It can definitely still be noticed if someone looks closely at it, but I can focus on washing that later. Akademi High…I have to get there.

I grab my schoolbag near the door and almost fall again, feeling my knees get weak once more. I hold onto the door handle with a firm grip and gradually put my shoes on.

Mother walks out of the living room and tilts her head.

"Sweetheart?"

I barely look at her. "Yeah?"

"You didn't finish your breakfast."

"I'm not hungry, throw the rest away."

"Alright," Mother chirps, not raising any objections. "Have a wonderful day at school."

"Sure."

I slam the door behind me and gasp as I'm out of Mother's sight.

I had to fake that I was fine. I stood up straight and tried to speak with my pained throat.

And now I'm paying the consequences. The pain has amplified and my breathing has become even more strained.

I truly do hope that I'll feel better once I'm at school. Over there, there are too many people and faking to be fine the entire day doesn't seem possible. Even if it's to see Senpai again, my body simply doesn't have enough strength for that in this state.

To hell with whoever made that drug. I cannot blame the Student Council President for it, she wasn't the one who gave me it, but I'm still unsure of who did. However, feeling all this pain because of that steroid, I truly wish that the creator suffers the same way I am. They obviously didn't test it, or didn't care what kind of side effects it had in store.

I clear my throat and grimace. This won't do.

I have to get to school. I have to see Senpai. I have to watch over him.

With my bag on my back and my vision gradually getting better, I tumble weakly to Akademi High.

* * *

Well, there's good news and bad news.

Good news? Senpai is looking as wonderful as ever. He giggles so cutely when his friends talk to him and the way he keeps making my heart stop is still just as pleasant as the first time it happened.

Also, on top of that, my health seems to be more…normal now. My vision still gets a little blurred every now and then, but it's far better than this morning.

The bad news? My head still hurts. There are moments when I feel ridiculously light-headed, and other students have begun to notice that as well. They glance at me occasionally and give me looks of concern, but they don't gather the courage to confront me about it and tell me to go home. That's my business, not theirs.

But my headache has made class even more excruciating, if that's even possible. I find myself about to fall asleep multiple times, and none of the words that come out of the teacher's mouth actually succeeds to register for me.

"Ayano Aishi." I suddenly hear a firm snap.

I look up. "Huh?"

The teacher is standing beside my desk. I hadn't even noticed.

"Have you been listening at all?" she asks me, readjusting her thick glasses.

"Um, yeah."

"Okay, then can you please explain to me what the point-slope form of graphing equations is?"

I blink a few times.

Did she just speak another language and expect me to understand it?

The whole class is looking at me and I don't like it. Their attention follows wherever the teacher is, and currently she's scolding me.

"I don't know." I answer honestly.

The teacher sighs. "Aishi…is something wrong? You haven't been listening to me at all today, and your skin is pale."

I frown.

"It is?"

"Yes, do you want to go see the nurse?"

Well, anything is better than staying here.

"Yes."

"Okay, go on now."

"Thank you, Miss-"

I hesitate. I don't know her name and my head hurts too much to try and remember it.

The teacher stares at me, waiting for me to finish my sentence, but soon realizes why I paused.

"Do you not know my name?"

"No, ma'am."

She looks genuinely surprised. "I've been teaching you for years!"

I wave my hand dismissively and leave the classroom. I'm not even bothered to give her an apology. It's her fault for having such a forgettable name.

As I step outside the classroom, I immediately feel a lot better. Perhaps it was just the classroom atmosphere that was giving me that headache.

I've been sent outside to see the nurse, but I won't. I've already decided that I cannot see medical help for my health.

Still, while I'm out of class, I might as well skip the rest. The teacher will never know that I didn't go to see the nurse, and I can choose not to be a part of that boring session.

Just as I suspected, the corridors aren't empty. Other classes are having their lunch break right now, all due to a new schedule that's been implemented. I don't know the reason behind the change, but I've been sure to keep a mental note of it.

My head swerves to the left as I hear a familiar voice coming from the school entrance.

It's Senpai. I could recognize that beautiful, tuneful voice anywhere and anytime. He must be having his lunch break too.

I lean around the hallway corner and wait for Senpai to enter the building. I wonder what he's wearing, what he's doing, and how he's feeling. Most of all, however, my heart beats quickly in anticipation of seeing his face. It doesn't matter how many times I see it, it always feels like the first time and makes me feel warm inside. It's ridiculously addictive.

His voice gets loud enough that I'm sure he's in the locker area now. I keep a close eye and watch him walk my way.

He's walking with two people. A boy and a…

A girl.

Hm.

"I've got to say it, Yamada, you're an amazing photographer! Your submission picture of that flower…it was incredible!" the boy to Senpai's right chuckles, patting him on the shoulder.

Submission?

Oh, that's right. The school held a memorial for all the dead or missing students from Akademi High and asked us to take the best photo we can. The photos that the students took would be put on display at the school entrance, as to show that we care…or something.

Obviously, I didn't submit a picture. The only pictures I have at home are of Senpai anyway, but Senpai himself _did_ take a photo. I watched him submit it just a few days ago.

"Yeah," the girl to Senpai's left concurred. "You should think about joining the Photography Club."

The girl. I can't see her properly.

From this corner and the lockers in the way, it's obstructing my view. All I can see is curly ponytails, similar to Kokona's, before they head towards the staircase and out of my sight. I couldn't get a good glimpse of her.

But I know that she's walking alongside Senpai. That's far too close for anyone besides me to be positioned.

The thick walls around the staircase blockade their voices and I no longer know what they're talking about. I could follow them upstairs, but there's a good chance that they'll notice me. No one except them are heading to the second floor right now, so it makes it too obvious that I'm trailing behind them.

But that doesn't matter. I need to know what's going on. I don't care about the boy in the slightest, but that girl is too amiable for her own good. Whether it's intentional or not, she's getting comfortable around Senpai and _that_ doesn't go unnoticed.

Ignoring the risk of raising suspicion, I go up the stairs behind them.

They don't turn around as my footsteps are too quiet. The three of them reach the second floor but I remain in the staircase, now able to hear them again.

"It'd be a real shame to waste that talent of yours," I hear the unknown boy speak again, a subtle tone of desperation peering in.

"Sorry…I'm just not ready to join a club." Senpai mutters. I cannot see his face but his voice is still pleasant. "I don't think I ever will be."

My hands clench as I hear the girl talk to Senpai. "Why's that? I've seen you go to many clubs before."

"Yes, well, that's sort of the reason why I don't want to do any more clubs…"

"I don't follow, Yamada…"

There's a brief pause. "Look, you guys know that I've been in both the Gardening and Cooking Club, right?"

"Yes?"

"And you know what happened in both clubs?"

The boy spoke first. "The death of Mei and the disappearance of Honoka?"

"That's right." Senpai whispers.

For a moment, I feel utterly confused.

It's true, two incidents happened in the clubs he was a part of, but what exactly is he implying? The way Senpai is talking makes it seems like he's accusing himself of having something to do with it, as though painting himself in a bad light, but I know for a _fact_ that he had nothing to do with those things. What is he getting at?

I tread onto the next step silently and linger on his words.

"What I'm trying to say is…" Senpai speaks in a very low tone. "I think I'm cursed."

Following up with what Senpai said, both the boy and the girl with him go deadly silent. I hear myself breathing and try to make it quieter.

From down these stairs, I cannot see the boy or the girl's expressions on the next floor. Are they horrified? Are they smirking at him? It's true that the deaths of those two girls fall into a bit of mystery when you consider that Senpai was associated with both of them, and I can see how Senpai could gain that kind of superstition, but I never even dreamt of the possibility.

The boy tries to answer first but instead mumbles a bit of nonsense then hums in thought. It's obvious that he doesn't know what to say. Perhaps he's hesitating because he doesn't fully doubt or reject the notion of such a thing, and maybe believes that he's been struck with bad luck.

I feel my eyes squint as the girl responds properly. "Yamada, there's no such thing as a curse. That's just a bunch of lies that students make up to frighten each other. People have been doing that a lot lately."

"Yeah!" the boy agrees, deciding to see things from her point of view. "Like the rumours of one of the students being a vampire! The school and its weird superstitions are just getting to you, man."

"But this is different." Senpai protests, and my hands shudder from the sweet tune of his voice. "It's like everyone I know has something bad coming to them. Even…"

I hear a sniffle. Senpai must be on the verge of tears.

"Even my sister." Senpai finishes, and I hear one more sniffle before he successfully stops himself from crying.

I regret what happened to Sakura.

Yes, that's right, I _regret_ it.

To some extent, the memory of her death still brings me pleasure, watching her bleeding jaw hang from her face. That girl wanted to keep everyone away from Senpai and have him all to herself. That foolish little girl was a threat, and she escaped my grasp like a sneaky rat just to frustrate me.

But no other person's fate has affected him like Sakura's. So far, Honoka, Mei, and Osana have been taken away from him, and while I've seen him change because of that, none of it has struck him as hard as the death of his own sister. I doubt he'll forget about it for the rest of his life, and that makes me…

Sad.

It makes me sad.

I hurt Senpai. Even if it was to ensure a perfect life for the two of us, I still inflicted a scar onto him that will always remain.

 _That_ is my regret.

"Sakura was a good student." the girl speaks mournfully. "She will be missed."

"Thanks."

"But Yamada, you cannot blame yourself for that. You aren't cursed, alright?"

"Sure…" Senpai says, sounding unconvinced.

Wow.

Well, I supposed she isn't that bad after all.

I hear footsteps going in either direction, they're heading opposite ways. She didn't want to snuggle up next to Senpai or anything, and my suspicions start to seem baseless. I take a deep breath and heave a relieved sigh.

She even helped cheer up Senpai so I can see his smile more. That's nice.

"Oh, and Yamada?" I hear the girl call from one end of the hallway.

Senpai takes a moment to respond. "Yeah?"

"You can always join me in the Drama Club. No one will think badly of you. You're a _really_ great guy."

Okay, she's dead.

There's a slightly nervous chuckle from Senpai before he starts walking again. The unknown boy follows with him and head into one of the classrooms. I exit the staircase after them and still see the girl wandering down the corridor.

 _Nobody_ calls Senpai something like that. No other girl has even had the gall to say that.

I trail slowly behind her, able to see her a little more clearly now.

She's holding books in her arms, clutching them close to her chest. Her hair is short but curled a lot, hanging down the sides of her head.

But I cannot focus on the details of her appearance. All I'm interested is following her now.

My head twitches to the left as we both enter another corridor. I try to stop it by holding the side with my hand but to no avail.

I feel my fever gradually go back up again. A massive headache returns to me with full force and I grimace from the wave of pain. It's making it harder to think straight. I cannot even process why I'm trailing this girl right now. I just want to. I have to stick to this girl.

I want to hurt her.

I shake my head and try to stop walking. I know it's a stupid idea to try something in the middle of a corridor, especially as class has ended and other students are starting to pour out.

But my headache is making it difficult to control myself. It hurts too much to think properly, I just know that I want to punch her for saying something like that to Senpai.

The bell rings on the wall next to me, blaring and letting everyone know that they can leave. Students almost immediately burst out of the classroom doors to my right and fill up the hallway, pushing past each other and speaking far louder than they ever need to. I'm forced to walk slower as the hallway becomes more and more crowded, and I momentarily lose sight of the girl I'm following.

This would be the perfect time to stop walking. I can just stop here and make sure I don't do anything foolish.

But my body won't respond. I keep walking through the crowd, uncaringly brushing past people to regain sight of the girl again. My body doesn't want to stop. It wants to hurt that girl so much that my mind cannot do anything about it.

My pursuit for the girl halts abruptly as a girl suddenly falls onto me. I retain my balance and look at her, and she's already nodding her head apologetically.

She's got pink hair and turquoise eyes. Heavily applied make-up.

"I'm sorry!" she squeaks, giving me a pat on the shoulder. "I wasn't looking where I was going!"

But I've already moved on.

She expected some kind of response, but I find myself walking away instead. Nothing seems to be able to stop me right now. Even for someone like me, who tries to avoid doing anything that seems strange in public, this doesn't seem to be able to stop me.

There's a part of me that _really_ wants to find that girl and make her suffer, but another part that knows how this'll play out. It'll just be like Honoka, when I failed to control myself, and this time there won't be anyone to save me from my mistakes.

I have to stop myself.

The crowd starts to condense more and more and everyone is beginning to blend in. That girl is nowhere to be found like this, and it doesn't help that I'm still unsure of her actual appearance. I've lost her. I _need_ to give up.

I'm fighting a losing battle with myself, but I suddenly get some extra help.

My illness kicks in and I almost fall.

My hand reaches for the wall and I use it to balance. I don't fall on anyone inside the crowd, and it's still too busy here for someone to notice my stumbling, but my heart starts to race out of anxiously nonetheless.

I feel blood slowly collect up in my throat. I'm going to spit out blood again, just like I did this morning. People will definitely notice that and know that something isn't right.

I need to get out of this crowd.

All of the things I experienced in the morning suddenly hit me. My vision goes completely blurred and my body feels too weak to even function properly. I have no idea why it's kicking in _now_ of all moments, but it allows me to focus on my own health instead of that girl.

I see a mop leaning to the side of the wall. I can barely see anything right now, but if that's a mop, then it means that the bathrooms are nearby. That is what I need right now.

I trip towards the door and bang against it. The pain doesn't properly find me, however, as I can only focus on trying to open the door handle. My hand is rested on it and I twist and turn the damn thing only to find it locked. How can the bathrooms be locked?

I gaze up at the silver-plated sign and read 'Janitor's room.'

Oh.

That's alright. I can just keep going, I'll just find another place to collapse.

My knees lose all their strength, my blurred vision intensifies to the point where I can't see a thing, and I feel myself tilting over to the side. I trip over and see the floor quickly coming closer to my sight.

Well, guess I'm collapsing here instead.

My head collides with the rough surface of the floor and I drop onto my back. Everything spins around me and my body refuses to lift me back up. I put my hands on the floor and try to push myself upwards, but they've completely lost their strength too. I cannot hold the blood in my mouth any longer and I spit it all out, choking on it because of the position I'm lying down.

A few people trample on me before they notice, and soon everyone stops what they're doing and stare at me.

Staring fearfully at the schoolgirl on the ground, choking on her own blood.

People rush over to me. I cannot tell who. I can barely do anything right now.

One of them puts their hand at back of my head and lifts me high enough to spit out my blood properly. I stop gurgling and the person then lifts me from my back, and with their support, I'm almost sitting up straight.

Some other students are circled around me, one of them rubbing their tissue against my lips. It feels strange, being unable to stop them. I can only remain here, completely lifeless as they wonder what's wrong with me. Other students simply stand close-by and watch all of this unfold. A few even freak out and quickly begin to leave.

I cannot see any of them. They're all silhouettes in my eyes. Blurred beings spinning around me and speaking nonsense. They're shouting out things in a panicked matter, but none of it seems to make sense to me. Are they trying to help? Are they simply scared and calling for help? I have no way of knowing.

The only thought that's in my mind right now is that girl. That damned girl that spoke too comfortably to Senpai. To _my_ Senpai. I can still recall what she said, word for word, and the last thing I think of is my hatred for her.

The last thing before I lose my consciousness completely.

* * *

Even waking up is painful now.

My eyelids flutter open and I struggle to move my body. It's not as bad as it was before, but I still feel incredibly weak.

It's hard to remember anything. Am I home? Or did I go to school? It's like my mind is a blank sheet of paper.

The memory of a voice talking sweetly to Senpai echoes in the back of my head and helps me gradually remember better. No, I _did_ go to school. I think.

My eyes are fully open now but I cannot see the outside world. I'm seeing…unique images. Not realistic ones, but ones it seems I'm creating with my own mind.

I see Kokona. I see Mei. Their faces look bubbly, faint, and the only thing that I can properly see are their eyes. Huge eyes staring right at me, their pupils grey and their gazes dangerously sharp.

This isn't real. Both these two are dead. My mind must still be slipping between sleeping and waking up. I feel numb but my thoughts are clear enough for me to realize that I'm just seeing things. Neither of them is coming back. Once you're dead, you're dead.

But I cannot help but look back at them, the strange images my mind has decided to paint for me. I stare back at Kokona and Mei as they look down upon me, and notice them starting to become clearer. Both of them have their faces completely covered in blood, and most of the blood is dripping down from their eyes like tears. They're missing teeth, fresh blood slowly starts to pour out from their ears, and I feel their stares get stronger and stronger. They stare at me in a certain way that I start to see hostility coming from the two hallucinations. The looks they're giving me are fuelled by hatred, by anger, by pure savagery.

If they were still alive, they would probably do everything they could to get their revenge. I choked the life out of Mei to save my own skin, and tortured Kokona for an entire night to bend her to my will. I have no doubt that the two of them would love nothing more than to rip me to shreds.

But I'm not deterred. I'm not afraid.

The two of you were a means to an end, nothing more. Mei, you needed to die because you were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and Kokona, you were tortured by these two hands because you got in my way. _Anyone_ that gets in my way will suffer.

To hell with you two. Get out of my head and stay dead already, you're both things of the past.

The images slowly subside and I'm looking at the real world again.

I'm fully awake. It's about time.

The moment I realize I'm staring directly at a light bulb, I growl in pain and blink a few times.

It smells pleasant in here. The aroma of lavenders is all around me, and it somehow makes my headache better too.

I raise my head a little and see someone staring at me. This one isn't an image in my mind, either.

I immediately yelp and feel my body go hot as their face becomes clear for me.

Senpai gives me an adorable, pure-hearted smile as he puts his right hand on my forehead.

"Are you okay, Aishi?"


	30. No 27: Pure Perfection

I feel like I'm going to die.

As my face burns hotly and my eyes start to water, I simply remain frozen as a statue as Senpai presses his hand against my forehead.

"It seems like you got a bit of a temperature…" he mumbled, his voice causing small shivers to leap through my body. "That's just no good."

The moment he takes his hand off, I yearn for its sensation again. He actually touched me. Senpai actually came into physical contact with me.

There's not a chance in _hell_ that I'm washing my forehead now.

I glance around the room as Senpai steps away. It was too difficult to notice it at first, but it seems like I'm in the nurse's office. Everything in this room smells of lavenders, and I cannot gain a whiff of anything else.

Senpai smiles again. "I hope you're alright, Aishi. You had me worried."

Immediately, all kinds of emotions bubble through me and I feel scorching hot again.

"I-I-I…"

My mouth can barely form words, my hands are shaking uncontrollably in my lap. He's looking right at me with those soft, kind eyes and it feels like I'm completely immobilized. How can I possibly answer him normally when he's standing there, just looking so perfect?

I love you.

"I'm okay…" is what I stutter.

How can someone like you be so wonderful?

"How did I get here…?" I ask instead.

All I remember was rushing through a large crowd of students in a fit of anger. Because of my sickness, I stumbled around a bit and finally lost consciousness.

Did Senpai bring me here?

"Oh, right." Senpai chuckled, the sweet tune of his voice gracing my ears. "I guess you wouldn't remember, you looked a little out of it. I'm not sure why, but you fell to the ground and started coughing up blood. Some of the students helped to keep you from choking, and I brought you to the nurse's office as fast as I could."

Senpai…

He looks so heroic. His tone of voice is trying to make it seem like it was nothing, but he saved me. To think that someone like him would even consider bothering with a nobody like me…

He's just like a Knight in shining armour. I just want to reach out and embrace him, to feel his irresistible warmth around me.

"Ah, you're awake!"

I glance behind me. Who said that?

The back door of the office opens up and someone strolls out. The moment they enter the room, the smell of lavenders somehow intensifies to the point where it's no longer pleasant. I grimace from the annoying smell and stare at the woman walking towards me with a board and syringe in hand.

This is the school nurse. I've never actually seen her properly before, there hasn't been one time that I've ever required medical treatment from the school. She's also the woman that I read about in Senpai's evaluation file a while back, the nurse that Senpai has become close friends with.

She looks, well, flamboyant.

There's no doubt that she has a curvy body, the kind that I haven't seen around much. Her pink hair is balanced tidily on her left shoulder and her calm, peaceful eyes meet mine as she takes a chair and sits down next to my bed.

"How are you feeling, Ayano Aishi?" she asks almost melodically.

She seems slightly younger than I imagined.

"Okay, I guess."

The nurse turns her head to Senpai. "You did good work, Yamada! I'm relieved that this girl was brought to me before anything bad could happen…"

Strange. Her words sound fake, but her facial expression and body language make her concern seem genuine. She looks at me extremely carefully, making sure I'm not showing any signs of illness anymore, and the way that she looks so pleased with my recovery…

I've always been able to read people, to understand how they think and operate with just a few moments of contact.

But this woman…I don't understand her at all.

My eyes wander back to Senpai, standing in the corner of the room with his arms folded. I just want to push the nurse out of the way and focus on what's actually important, but with him looking right at me, I have to act as normal as possible.

But how am I supposed to pull it off? Senpai is looking at me. He is looking at me and only me. How can I keep all this happiness contained within myself? I can already feel a smile gradually creeping onto my face, and no matter how hard I try to control it, I'm just exploding with too much excitement to stop it.

I turn my head to the side as the nurse holds a small stethoscope in her grip and presses it onto my chest. I have to face away from Senpai until I can get this smile off.

"What do you think happened, Aishi?" the nurse asks me. "It's not every day that something like this happens to a student."

"I don't know." I answer honestly.

"Well, I called your parents just in case. Your mother answered and told me that you just forgot to take your medication."

That makes me laugh inside.

Of course she did. She can conjure up a lie in moments and make it seem like the absolute truth. At least, with her help, what happened to me won't be seen as something weird.

Or, more like, I hope not.

The nurse gets up and taps me on the back.

"Well, whatever it was…it's definitely gone now."

Her reassuring voice doesn't amuse me at all.

Once out of her chair, she walks over to her desk to find a paper to write on. It's probably one of those check-up sheets that she has to give to every student once she's taken care of them.

She places one hand onto the paper, but slips her palm on the pen and causes it to roll off the desk. She's a clumsy one.

As she bends down to pick it up, I almost fall off of the bed. Her skirt goes straight up and shows every last part of her upper thighs, revealing practically everything. She takes an incredibly long time to reach for the pen as well, making it look impossible, and giving me all the more painful time to look at her.

But as I glance as Senpai, I see him staring straight ahead at the nurse. He cannot take his eyes off of her as her skirt slowly goes up more and more. She eventually squats down more and searches under the desk, and now even her underwear is in clear sight. I watch in absolute disbelief as the nurse fails to realize it, and as Senpai gazes at her with a memorized expression.

Does she really not notice what she's doing…?

Once she finally gets her hand on the pen, she stands back up straight and Senpai immediately turns his head the other way. He stared right at her…

I feel my hands clench into fists, but I'm not angry.

Senpai is just following his male instincts. I cannot blame him for that, he didn't do anything wrong.

But why is he interested in _her?_ That woman is middle-aged, and far older than Senpai. She's not even close to his age, and the fact that he'd look at her while she's in such a position baffles me.

"Okay, Aishi!" the nurse cheers. "I've written your name down. If something like this ever happens again, if you feel nauseous or dizzy, please come and see me."

"Sure,"

"Do you need anything now? Anything at all?"

My throat feels dry. "Can I have some water?"

"Absolutely! Give me a moment…"

She walks off to the water dispenser in the corner.

"Her name is Miss Kina."

"Huh?"

I glance at Senpai. He's giving me that incredibly warm smile again, the one that causes my heart to flutter.

"The school nurse," he explained.

Oh.

Oh, he was saying her name.

Who cares about her? Let's talk about us, Senpai. I want to gather up the courage and just tell you how wonderful you look, and how my knees are indescribably weak right now.

"T-t-that's n-nice…" I mumble instead.

Idiot, you can't say anything more than that?

My heart has so many things to say to my precious Senpai, but my mouth isn't getting any of them out. It simply can't do so, my chilling fear forbids it.

What if he doesn't like me? We haven't properly talked yet, and I'm worried sick that he won't be interested in me. What if I seem drearily boring to him? What if my normal act doesn't work on him and he starts to get antsy?

If this was anyone else, I wouldn't care what they thought about me. I would just say what's on my mind and get it out of the way.

But Senpai is different. He's the only thing in this entire world that matters. If I fail to make him mine, there won't be anything left for me. One slip-up and the love of my life might stay as far away from me as possible.

"She's really kind, you know." Senpai suddenly continues.

My eyes meet his and I find myself blushing. "…s-she…is…?"

"Yeah, she's been taking good care of me for a while now. She can be a really good friend once you get to know her, and it seems like she's fond of you, as well."

Senpai's talking to me again. I feel like I might just roll over and die right now.

"…she…s-seems v-very…c-caring."

Senpai nods. "I think so too. She was very worried when I brought you here."

I'm speaking like an absolute moron to him.

Get it together. What the hell do you think you're doing? You're looking like a stuttering fool in front of him.

"You were really out of it while I was carrying you…" Senpai muttered. "You were sleep-talking, I think."

Sleep…talking…?

That doesn't seem right. I was completely unconscious, did I really say something involuntarily? What exactly did I say?

Before I can ask Senpai, Kina returns to me with a plastic cup of water.

I hold it and take a small sip, then grimace as my throat stings agonizingly. Whatever my sickness is, it hasn't decided to go away just yet. Still, as Kina stares at me, I pretend to feel no pain at all. I don't need any more of her help.

This is bad, however. It seems like my condition hasn't been noticed by the school nurse, but that also means she hasn't done anything to stop it. She simply thinks it's a natural illness I have that will go away when I take my 'medication'. That's not true at all. My sickness isn't something simple, and the thought that this might do something lethal to me at one point…is very worrying.

"Well, I'd better get to class!" Senpai quickly yelps, looking at his watch. "Hope you're all better now, Aishi."

He's going…?

No, but I have to say something. If I don't say anything important to him now, when will I ever do so?

"Th…"

Senpai turns around and raises an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"Thank…you."

It's all I can manage to say without stuttering.

"Hey," he smiled. "Don't mention it."

He then turns back around and leaves the office.

My body immediately goes cold. I feel the inside of my body slowly freeze back up and the colours of the world around me gradually become faded and black. It's simply not the same without him near me. The moment he leaves, everything just changes so much, and becomes so painful.

But it was good while it lasted. Senpai touched my forehead, he brought me to the nurse's office to help me, and I even gathered up the courage to speak to him. Granted, I sounded like a complete and utter idiot while doing so, but at least I was able to say as much as I did. For talking to someone like my Senpai, just getting one actual word out of my mouth is honestly a great achievement.

Kina puts her hand on mine and I realize that I'm still staring at the door Senpai left through.

"Well, if you're feeling completely fine now," she giggles. "You can head on home."

"Home?"

"Ah, that's right, you probably don't know. You were actually unconscious for the entire school day."

Huh?

You've got to be kidding, that's just how sick I am? No one falls unconscious for that many hours. Mother must've sounded _really_ convincing on the phone if the nurse actually believes that there's nothing wrong with me.

As Kina steps away, I slowly get off the bed and watch my knees wobble a bit. I still feel a little weak, but it looks like I can at least walk properly again.

Then I frown. I stop moving and I glance back at the door.

Oh no.

I completely forgot to ask Senpai what I had said. While I was unconscious, I said something right in front of him.

What…

What did I say…?

* * *

She had been waiting for an hour now.

With a frustrated sigh, she kept glancing at her watch. Perhaps it was slow. There was no way her acquaintance could possibly take this long to get here.

Info-chan took a sip of her hot chocolate and glanced at the other people in the café. None of them were freezing with their warm clothes, but Info-chan was barely wearing anything. From her room, she couldn't even tell just how cold it was getting outside. She wished she had put something more on.

She glanced at her watch once more and considered calling her friend. There was always a chance something had come up and wouldn't allow them to make it to their meeting point.

But just as she reached for her pocket, her friend came into view.

"Info-chan," the girl said as she approached the table. "You really like cafes as meeting spots, don't you?"

"You took your time, Angela." Info-chan muttered, putting her mug down.

"Had to extract some information from an old…friend. He took a while to crack."

Info-chan looked at a yellow envelope in Angela's hand. "Is that what I asked for?"

"Sort of."

Angela said down.

Info-chan hadn't seen her in a long time. They had known each other for several years, and she was one of the only people ever to see Info-chan's face. She usually preferred to talk to someone behind a computer screen, but Angela was definitely someone she could trust.

Angela had aged a bit. Her skin revealed slight wrinkles and a few strands of her hair had gone white. She wasn't old, per say, but she looked far more aged since they had last met. Still, her long black hair was as beautiful and elegant as ever, and it was something that had always bothered Info-chan. How does one person consistently keep their hair so straight and perfect?

"Look, before anything else, I've got to tell you something." Angela grumbled.

"What?"

"You're in way over your head."

"I know what I'm doing."

"Recently, I've started to doubt that. If you _really_ know what's what, you'd realize that what you're doing will only end with your head on a silver platter."

"How do _you_ know?"

"Because others have tried, and failed."

"I'm different, Angela. I'm better. No one has more influence in this city than me."

"Influence and strength are very different things, and what you need for this is brute strength."

"Are you telling me you won't help me?"

Angela looked down at the table. "No…I didn't say that. I know you want your revenge for the Journalist's death, but I'm worried."

"You don't need to be."

"Why even go so far for him, Info-chan? I know he was your father, but I didn't even think you cared about him."

It was true.

It was a strange thing, suddenly caring about her father. Before, she never even considered that he actually mattered to her.

"I thought the same." Info-chan said. "I didn't think I cared at all, but his death woke me up to how much he meant to me. Despite everything, he was family."

"Say…are you sure the murderer was 'Boss'? The Journalist was chasing a girl at the time of his death, perhaps she killed him instead? What was her name again…?"

"Ayano Aishi." Info-chan quickly answered.

"Yeah, her. Maybe she's the one you're looking for?"

"I already checked that thoroughly." Info-chan responded with a shake of her head. "The forensic reports were clear. Aishi's fingerprints weren't on the murder weapon, and she's not the kind of person to keep a secret. If she killed him, she would've told me without hesitation."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because she doesn't even know that he was my father."

Angela looked surprised.

But that was how it had to be. If Aishi ever caught wind of that fact, Info-chan would be in trouble. It would be best for her to never know, and for the Journalist to simply become a person of the past to her.

No, this business had nothing to do with Aishi. This was Info-chan's own goal, and nothing was going to stop her.

"That envelope," Info-chan said. "Let me see it."

Hesitantly, Angela took the envelope and slid it across the table.

Info-chan slowly opened it and frowned. As she tore it, all she saw inside was a small photo. She took it out and stared at it, and for a moment she had no idea what she was looking at.

But she eventually made out different shapes from the black and white picture. It showed the back of a tall man with a cigarette in his hand and a briefcase in the other. The man was completely faced the other way and Info-chan couldn't see his face. The quality of the photo was so terrible that she couldn't even see the rest of his features properly.

"This…is the picture of Boss? _This_ is what you're able to bring me after all this time?" Info-chan hissed, tossing the photo onto the table.

Angela bowed her head sadly. "I'm sorry. As I said, it was difficult to find anyone that wanted to help you, and with all of his security, this was the best photo we could take without losing our lives."

"This is _useless_ , Angela. I need proper features, something I can actually go on. You might as well throw this one away."

"Sorry," Angela repeated.

Info-chan shook her head. It wasn't her fault.

No, the fault was her own. She had expected too much. After siding with the authorities in order to protect herself from the law, and making dangerous enemies, there weren't that many people willing to still work for her. She could still get individuals to do her bidding, but she'd have to use threats and more nasty methods, and she'd only get more empty results like the one she did today.

Several times, Info-chan had told herself one thing. Just let it go.

If she could do that, none of this would even matter anymore. She could go back to her average lifestyle, the easy kind where she didn't have to worry about anything except having fun. At any moment, she could return to her computer and start doing what she always had been doing, messing with people and gathering juicy information. That was she was comfortable with, so why not just go back to it?

Info-chan honestly didn't know the answer, all she knew was that there was a drive in her body that refused to" focus on anything else.

This kind of attitude would only bring her to ruin.

But she couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Info-chan…?" Angela whispered quietly.

"Yes?"

"Your hands are shaking."

Info-chan looked down.

She stared at her two hands, heaved a heavy sigh, then slowly closed her eyes.

"Yes…they are."


	31. Author's Note 3

Sorry guys, I got bad news.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, all my stories need to be put off for a while. The delay will probably cause the next chapter to take two weeks (or more) to come out.

I'm really sorry for this, but my current situation is holding me back from releasing chapters as fast as I usually do. I hope you understand.


	32. The Christmas Special!

**Merrrrrrry Christmas! :)**

 **This is just an innocent Christmas special to celebrate the holidays. This entire chapter is entirely** **non-canon.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

Christmas.

What a strange thing it is. I never really understood it.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the reason behind the celebration, all correlating to Christian beliefs. That part makes sense to me.

No, what I don't understand is everyone's…happiness.

Just step outside your house on Christmas and you'll see hundreds of smiles wherever you turn. Everyone just seems so overjoyed when Christmas comes, and saying that it irritates me would be a massive understatement. It practically tortures me.

I wrap the coat around me tighter. It's getting unbearably cold, and snow has inevitably come once again, to my dismay.

I hate snow. I hate ice. I always slip and fall at least once during winter, and make a complete fool of myself. What a stupid and freezing season it is.

As I step through the main gates of Akademi High, the atmosphere of joy and excitement hits me like a tidal wave and I almost curse. Students are frolicking just outside the school building, leaving a completely full display of their happiness for me to unfortunately witness. I watch with a frown as two girls duck down, dig their hands deep into the snow beneath them, curl them into balls, and hurl them at each other with endless laughter.

These people have a screw loose. Honestly, sometimes it feels like everyone in the world is crazy but me.

Three other boys have already gotten to work on a snowman, building it at the very east of the school gates. Once they're happy with what they've made, they toss a hat onto it, stuff a carrot in the middle of its face, and draw an eye and a smile with their fingers.

"Hey, you know what?" one boy chuckles. "We should make it look like the security guard."

I recognize that boy.

It's Budo. I chose to train under him while keeping a close eye on Hanako.

"Yeah, you're right! He isn't here today, so it would be perfect!" another boy answers, quickly rubbing off the face they had drawn.

They frantically got to work on making the snowman resemble the school's security guard as much as possible.

Don't they have anything better to do?

I walk past them and try not to pay much attention. Just looking at the things people do on Christmas frustrates me to the point where I simply cannot tolerate it. If there was actually a reason behind the way people behave on Christmas, it would've been less annoying, but there isn't a single plausible reason I can think of for their happiness.

I know I've always had trouble understanding people. That's definitely not something new. Since as long as I can remember, other people have often confused me because I cannot relate to them or feel the same way they do.

But Christmas is different. I don't even care what anyone's reason is to be so damn happy during this holiday, it'll never be able to excuse the utterly stupid things that people do. Snowball fights? Snowman building? Sledging?

It's all foolish. Foolish to the very core.

I carefully step through the snow until I reach the school entrance. I step inside and feel warmth finally return to my body. It's far more pleasant indoors than being out in all that cold.

I slowly take my coat off and sigh. Because of the snow I'm already late for class. If I don't hurry now, I'll be given another one of my teacher's lectures, and there's only so many times I can pretend to listen to something before I lose my mind.

I open the classroom door and see the teacher talking to another student, her attention elsewhere. I immediately take the opportunity to slip by unnoticed and quickly sit down at my table. By the time the teacher's turned I'm already in my seat and seemingly innocent.

She then positions herself at the front of the classroom and puts on a massive smile.

"Okay, everyone, settle down!"

It takes some time, but eventually everyone stops talking and listens in to hear what the teacher has to say for us.

"As you all know, I gave a task to you all last week, asking you to place a present under our Christmas tree." she exclaims, pointing to the corner. "All of your gifts were supposed to be anonymous, and in just a few minutes, you'll all be allowed to open them up!"

I glance at the Christmas tree in the corner. It looks pathetic, but there are way too many presents under it, and there are probably more gifts than the tree itself. I'm surprised that everyone bothered to get presents, if the person doesn't even know it's from you, then what's the point?

Either way, I obviously didn't get gifts for anyone. None of these people matter to me, and I _highly_ doubt that I got a gift either. I have no proper friends in the entire school, let alone in my class.

I'm not disappointed about it, either. I really don't see why anyone would get me a present, and I don't care enough about Christmas to even appreciate whatever gift I'd be given. I don't desire anything.

Unless it was Senpai, I suppose.

I find a grin on my face as I imagine Senpai in a huge box, all wrapped up like a proper gift. It's indescribably adorable.

"Hey, what are you smiling about?"

Still a little dazed, I turn my head and see a girl leaning towards me from her table.

It's Koharu Hinata, the girl who sits to my left.

My smile immediately fades. "Oh, nothing."

"You sure?" she giggles. "It looked like Christmas spirit to me!"

Why is she talking to me? We've never talked before, but now she seems determined to have a conversation with me. I really don't want to play along, but I guess I have to.

"Sure, why not."

She tilts her head. "What's wrong, Aishi? You're not smiling anymore."

"I'm not exactly thrilled about Christmas, if you really want to know." I answer honestly.

"Huh?" she gasps, looking completely shocked. "Why not?!"

"Because-"

"Oh, are you worried?"

I frown. "Worried about what?"

"You're worried about not getting a present, aren't you? I can tell by the look in your eyes." she nods, completely convinced.

This girl obviously has no idea what to talk about, and I barely have the energy to correct her. I'll just let her think what she wants to think.

The teacher claps her hands. "Okay everyone, head on to the gifts and open them up!"

The students practically trample over each other as they dash towards the small Christmas tree. They quickly pick up the boxes and check the labels to see if their names are on them.

"Come on," Koharu laughs, taking my left hand. "Let's go get our presents!"

She pulls me along and I don't bother to fight it. I walk along to the tree and watch as she bends down and finds a pink box with her name on it. Her face immediately shows pure happiness and joy, and I can only judge her silently as she opens it with excitement.

You're pathetic. All of you.

This holiday means absolutely nothing. It's just another pointless time of the year where people express the most amiable of emotions for no reason whatsoever. Even though I've spent almost all my life pretending to feel everything that other people feel, the holidays are simply too much for me to handle, and it's the few times where I cannot create a façade strong enough to hide my utter disinterest in the whole thing.

In mere moments, the tree is left bare as all the presents it housed were now in people's hands. They cheered and looked practically blissful.

I glance back at Koharu. She got a necklace.

It doesn't look that great, and I doubt whoever bought it paid a large sum of money, but Koharu seems over the moon about it. She quickly puts it out and looks back at me.

"Look at what I got! It goes so well with my eyes!"

I nod my head in agreement instead of saying anything. I hardly know a thing about fashion.

"Say," she giggles. "What did you get?"

"I didn't get anything."

"What?"

She turns her head back to the tree and sees all the presents gone. Everyone has claimed their gifts, but there are none for me.

"But…why…?"

I shrug. "I don't really have friends."

Almost instantly, Koharu springs towards me and holds both of my hands in hers. There's a gleam in her eyes now, and I don't think I like it.

"That's horrible!" she protests. "I'll be your friend, then!"

"I don't think that's necessar-"

She was nodding her head with determination now. "I'll be your best friend so that you don't feel alone!"

What is this girl trying to do, get on Santa's good list?

It happens a lot during Christmas. People almost completely change for some reason, as though they actually believe that a fat, bearded man is watching their every action. This girl is probably doing her best to be a good person this Christmas, but that doesn't mean that she has to befriend someone that doesn't have friends. I'm fine with no friends.

"Um, well, thanks."

Koharu gives me a pat on the back to cheer me up, oblivious to the fact that I don't care. "Did _you_ get a present for someone, at least?"

Instinctively, my left hand brushes against my pocket and I hesitate.

I feel the small bump of the object inside my pocket. I haven't taken it out even once, and just thinking about what I'm holding inside it almost gives me a heart attack every time.

"I-" I find myself stuttering. "I do…but I don't think I'll be giving it."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't think I can."

"Oh, are you afraid they won't like it?"

"No," I shake my head. "It's more like…I'm afraid of approaching them."

I notice a sudden sparkle in Koharu's eyes and regret telling her anything.

But it's too late now. I can tell by the look on her face that she's about to do something annoying.

"I get it now! It's for a _special_ someone, isn't it?"

"Err,"

"It's not good to hesitate at a time like this, Aishi! If you don't get that person a gift for Christmas, you'll definitely be sad about it later!"

"Um,"

"Alright, it's settled!" she claps her hand together. "We'll start right away!"

I blink a few times at her, completely devoid of all emotion. She really is just babbling on and I really don't understand any of it.

"We'll start what…?" I ask.

"Silly, isn't it obvious?"

This girl really doesn't know how to go away.

She takes one step closer to me, holds my left hand again, and quickly drags me out of the classroom. I open my mouth to protest, but we're already out of the door and running through the corridor together.

"You're going to give your gift right _now_!"

* * *

"So, you're sure that your loved one is here?"

I reluctantly peek around the corner to confirm it. "Yes, he's there."

"Oh, can't you just tell me who it is?" she sounds slightly frustrated, peeking along with me. "I won't tell anyone, I promise!"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

She giggles behind me.

Why did she laugh at what I said? I openly threatened her.

Oh, she thinks I was joking.

We're looking at him from the school entrance, and I can see him outside in the snow, writing in a small notebook. He looks so adorable in his winter clothes, wearing a coat as black as his eyes, a white scarf wrapped around his neck, and a little hat with a zigzag pattern. I've seen him wear this attire almost every winter, and it's indescribably amazing every time.

There are still multiple boys playing outside as well, however, so Koharu cannot properly tell who I'm looking at.

"Is it that guy?" she asks, pointing her finger out at a short boy with thick glasses.

"Absolutely not."

Koharu smiles. "Okay, well, go give it to your special someone now!"

"W-What?"

"Don't worry, I won't look, I promise. Just give it to him and come back to this spot!"

I can't.

It's true, for Christmas, I made Senpai something.

Actually, I made it a long time ago. Every Christmas since I met him, I've tried to give him this present, but I was never able to gather up the courage for it. Now Christmas has come again and I'm hesitating once more, and I don't think this year is going to be any different from any of the other ones.

Last Christmas, I came close. I almost gave it to him while he was digging his hands through his locker, I almost called his name and handed it to him.

But I didn't. By the time he turned his head to look in my direction, I had already run away.

This morning, I told myself that this Christmas would be special. I told myself that on this very day, I'd finally give my present to him.

But those are simply disillusions. Today is not special at all, and I won't be able to give him anything. I hate today. I hate Christmas.

I hate it because I'll never celebrate it with Senpai.

"You ready, Aishi?" Koharu suddenly cheers.

"Huh?"

"I'll give you a little push, go get him!"

Her hands press against my back and she pushes me out of hiding and outside of the entrance.

I stumble a bit and feel my shoes meet the snow. The chilling cold immediately hits me again and I see Koharu giving me a thumbs-up.

You little pest, that was a _little_ push? I should push _you_ off a bridge.

None of the guys outside notice me, and Senpai doesn't look up to see me. I glance back and see Koharu duck her head back behind cover and no longer peek. She's keeping her promise by not watching.

But that's not what I'm worried about. It doesn't even make a difference to me whether or not she's watching. It's the action of approaching Senpai that is the problem here.

Still, now that I'm looking at him, it doesn't seem so difficult. He's right there, he's just minding his own business and writing notes down in a book, it's not like you're about to step into a battlefield. Just walk up to him, give him the present, and say Merry Christmas. It's not something strange to do, and Senpai will finally have something that belongs to me.

And just the concept of something like that is heart-warming.

I slowly start to walk towards him. My hands start to shake and I reach my right one into my pocket, feeling the gift hidden inside. This is it. This is the moment. There's no more need for hesitation, you _need_ to do this.

He is the love of your life. He's the only one that matters to you. All you have to do is gather up your courage, and your gift to him will finally be put to use. If you don't do this now, you never will.

I take another few steps and I'm gradually getting closer to Senpai. Just a little further and he'll notice me, and I'll no longer be a coward.

Instead, however, I feel my knees suddenly become weak. They wobble helplessly and I find myself struggling to walk, then I collapse and go head-first into the snow.

"Yo, Yamada! Check out our snowman!" a boy yells out.

Without noticing me, Senpai puts his book away, gets up, and wanders off.

I remain lying down in the snow, completely silent.

It's just not possible. My body cannot physically manage it, and instead of giving my gift to him my face is now plastered to a pile of snow.

For a few moments, I decide to not get back up. I simply let the coldness of the snow sink in and wait for the sudden pain inside my heart to go away.

I am useless, in every sense of the word. Not even my _body_ is capable of giving Senpai his gift, even after all this time. I've done so many things, got rid of several girls, gone through torture, torn apart his little sister, all so that the two of us can be together.

And yet, I cannot give him one damn present.

I slowly put my hands in front of me and push myself up.

Who am I kidding? This isn't going to work, just what exactly was I expecting? There were no indications that this year was going to be different from any other year, all I did was disillusion myself and believe that I could do the impossible.

As I stand up, I pat my pocket and feel the present inside, still in one piece.

Senpai won't know just how much I love him, no matter what I do. He's the only thing in this world that matters, but that's precisely why I cannot approach him. My love for him is far too strong, and my body barely manages to function when we get close.

Even when he took me to the nurse's office and took care of me, I could only stutter a few words and look like a complete fool. That's just how hopeless I am.

I gradually turn around and head back inside, but bothering to find Senpai and chase after him. He's completely run off and is now nowhere in sight.

As I enter the school building again, I expect all the coldness to melt away, but it doesn't. The coldness I'm feeling isn't coming from the weather outside, that much has become clear.

From the corner, Koharu reveals herself, and from seeing the excited smile on her face, I'm assured that she wasn't watching.

"So? It went well, right?"

"Wrong." I answer, feeling my eyes water slightly. She doesn't seem to notice. "I tripped and fell, and he ran off."

"What? Do you know where he went?"

"No."

"Why did you trip?"

"I'm not sure," I lie.

Koharu's smile immediately fades and she begins to look worried. It seems like she was convinced that this was going to work.

"Perhaps…" she starts to mumble, and from the looks of it she's trying to form a plan in her mind.

I really have to convey my feelings to this girl, and let her know just how much I just want her to go away.

But, without warning, another huge smile slowly finds its way onto her face and I can tell that something bad is about to happen. I begin to back away, hoping that she won't notice, but she gets a hold on my hand and laughs.

"No matter, I thought of another time that you can give your present to him, and we'll do it at a time that will make him even more happy!"

"Huh…?"

"Come on, Aishi, follow me!"

"Wait, I really think you should-"

But she's no longer listening. There's no point in protesting, she seems more determined than I am about giving my present to Senpai.

Just…

Just what is she planning…?

This is preposterous.

But, and I can't believe I'm saying this, it…might actually work.

To celebrate Christmas, for the last session of school, students of all years have been invited to the cooking room in order to make treats for their friends.

Predictably, Senpai is here too. With his kind and generous heart, there was never any doubt that he'd be here, making something for someone.

I hope that it's for me. I'd love nothing more, and I'd finally see the beauty behind this boring holiday. It's unlikely, but a girl can dream.

I enter the cooking room, thanks to another push on the back from Koharu, and see countless students at work. They've all got something in mind, and there are plenty of recipe books lying around for the taking.

Koharu's idea is for me to make something here, and just before Senpai leaves, I give him whatever I've made _and_ the present I've been saving for him. She said that this way, with two gifts for him, I'll make him even happier and I'll have more confidence than before.

And, in all honesty, it isn't the worst idea I've ever heard. It could work as long as I don't chicken out this time.

I move over to a cooking station while seeing Senpai just a few stations done. He's definitely trying to make something over there, I'd better make something quickly. If he finishes before I do, he'll just leave.

I glance at the book, seeing one of the pages already opened. It's on a page with instructions for making a gingerbread man. It's not the best thing you could ever make for someone, but the steps do not look very difficult. I'm sure I could make a good one if I just do exactly what the book says.

Perhaps my hesitation to give something to Senpai stems from my fear that he won't like my gift. That's logical. If I hand him my present along with my own gingerbread man, that might just give me the boost in confidence I've been looking for. Even if it doesn't work, it's worth a shot and I'm willing to do anything for Senpai.

With gusto, I get to work on my creation. With all the Christmas decorations in the room, however, it's admittedly difficult. There are ribbons all over the work station, and even the mittens have been decorated with small pieces of fabric that are annoyingly itchy.

I grab flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and a small portion of salt. The book says to place these all together to start off the gingerbread man. What else do I need?

I look at the book again. Butter. I need butter.

With all the ingredients together, I get to stirring.

This feels so wonderful. There's no other way to describe it.

I'm making something that might just go into Senpai's mouth. It might actually touch his lips and go down his throat. He might even _enjoy_ it, and just the thought of all these things cause goosebumps to crawl onto both of my arms. I'm smiling as well, and even though no one is looking at me, I try to remove it from my face and fail terribly.

The image of his face is plastered in my mind the entire time I'm making the treat. Will he like it? I really hope so. I don't want to be a disappointment to him. I want him to be satisfied with me and what I can produce. That's all I want.

I heat up the oven below and carefully what I've made inside. I've shaped it to represent a man, with its small arms and legs. This is the first time I've ever made something like this. Hell, it's the first time I've ever actually made edible food. My short time in the Cooking Club didn't grant me that.

While waiting anxiously, I stare at Senpai's work station. He isn't done just yet, that's good. I've still got plenty of time before he leaves the room. The second that this gingerbread man is ready, I'm not going to hesitate. I'm going to give it to him, and if he likes it, I'll add my gift along with it.

Then I'll finally add a meaning to this empty day they call 'Christmas'. Maybe I'll finally understand why people love this day so damn much.

The oven is rumbling and murmuring quietly, and the process of finishing my creation is taking awfully long. I never really had a problem with waiting, and my patience is above average, but this is staring to get painful. I just want to give it to Senpai already and see if he likes it, and by extension, me. My hands are shaking inside my mittens as I'm fighting a losing battle of keeping my excitement contained.

I turn to my left and see the person working next to me. It's a girl, probably older than me, making a special kind of soup. I've had different kinds of soups before, but the smell isn't like any other. It must be a flavour I do not know of.

My eye catches sight of Senpai as he moves from his spot. At first he just shuffles around a bit, his expression making it look like he's searching for something. He's beginning to talk to other people, is he missing some kind of ingredient?

He moves away from the work station and slowly walks down the aisle. Before I can do anything, I see him walk straight my way. At first, it looks like he's just moving in a random direction, but his eyes finally settle on me and it's clear that he's actually approaching me.

I pause and freeze on the spot. I didn't expect this. What is he coming over here for? Why is he approaching me, and why does it look like he's smiling?

I begin to feel weak, and by the time he's come over, I'm burning red.

"Hey, Aishi." he speaks softly.

"H-H-H" I stutter, failing to say anything normal.

"I was hoping I could get something from you, I really need it."

"H-H-" I continue to mumble like a moron.

He points at my work station, and I slowly turn around to see what's on it. For a few moments, I'm confused, but then I see a small tool on my table that hasn't been used yet.

"Do you mind if I borrow that spatula?" he asks me with a calm look in his eyes.

Oh, he…just needed that.

With a quick nod, I turn my back and slowly reach for the spatula.

He talks so naturally to me. We're just strangers, but he speaks so kindly and politely, and the way he keeps giving me that perfect smile is causing my stomach to flutter. He's looking at _me_ while I get the tool for him, only making my face become even hotter.

Despite the shaking of my hands, I gradually wrap my fingers around the spatula, pick it up, and look back at Senpai.

Okay, act natural. This is completely normal. All you have to do is give him what he wants and say 'you're welcome' if he thanks you. If you can just handle that, you'll finally show him evidence that you're an ordinary and normal girl.

He stares right into my eyes and keeps on his smile as I slowly hold my hand out with the spatula in it.

"H-H-Here…"

Senpai reaches his hand forward, holds the spatula, and takes it away from my hand.

"Thanks, Aishi, you're a life saver."

"Y-you're wel-"

It feels as though my heart has actually stopped.

As Senpai took the tool out of my hand, our fingers touched. Our fingers actually brushed each other.

My body suddenly becomes jelly and I fall backwards, leaning onto my table. Senpai loses his smile and now looks worried, reaching out and holding my arm to keep me steady.

"Woah, are you alright?" he asks me with genuine concern.

I…

I can't do it.

My face goes bright red, clear for Senpai to see. I feel myself blushing uncontrollably like an idiot. I stumble backwards, fall out of his grip, and begin to shake my head.

"I-I-I'm fine, I just-!"

That's when it happens.

I completely lose balance because of my continuous wobbling. I slip off the ground and instinctively try to grab onto something.

I slide onto the work station next to mine, hit my hand against a metal bar, and watch as it flies upwards and lands into a girl's soup. She immediately yelps as her soup splashes onto her face and her creation now ruined. With anger, she turns to me and begins yelling.

But some of the soup also got onto the floor. I slide on that next and hit right into the girl, sending us both flying backwards and tumbling onto each other.

The girl loses her grip on the soup and it lands on us, but mostly her. It's burning out and I feel it sting painfully. There are only a few drops, but the heat of it is extreme.

And out of nowhere, I hear deafening screams.

I look down to see why the girl is yelling in such a way. Then I see it, all the soup that has poured on her. I only have a few drops on me and it hurts, but almost all the rest of it has spilt on her. She cries out and quickly starts rubbing the soup off of her, and other students rush forward to help her out.

I get off of her and watch silently as she roars at me, out of both anger and pain. She obviously knows that it wasn't my fault, but she's mad anyway.

I glance at Senpai, who has already knelt down next to the girl and handed her a cloth.

He saw me hurt that girl. Just when I was about to act normal in front of him, I've done all this.

I look at the gingerbread man in the oven. It's burnt now. It's useless. And Senpai isn't even looking at me anymore, his attention is elsewhere. No matter what the situation ever seems to be, the end is always…

"Hey, don't worry about it." Senpai says, slowly turning his head around. "That was just a simple accident, Aish-"

But before he can finish his sentence, I'm outside the door.

Ah, so this is what crying feels like.

I'm standing outside the Cooking Club room, still listening to the sounds of everyone inside. From what I can hear, the girl has a small, red mark on her arm and is blaming me for the entire thing.

But that's not what I'm sad about. That girl can rot, for all I care.

No, I'm upset because I made such a fool of myself right in front of Senpai. That gingerbread man is ruined now, I did something so embarrassing that I'm sure it made me look bad, and I've once again failed to act normally towards him.

It's just failure after failure. There's utterly no hope for me at all. I should've realized it sooner. No matter what kind of situation I'm in, or the circumstances of our encounter, I'll never be able to connect with Senpai properly. There will always be a screw-up. There will always be something I do wrong. That's how the world has always decreed it to be.

I lean myself against a wall and continue to weep softly. The sensation of crying is so strange, and I do _not_ like it. It's not exactly by choice either, my body is doing this all on its own. The human body is very peculiar in that sense, I suppose.

I just want to give him this stupid present. That's all I've been asking for. If I could just not screw it up…

I rub my cheeks and feel moisture build up in my hands. It seems I cried too much, there are tears everywhere now.

"Alright, I'll go get something from the nurse!" I hear Senpai say from inside the room.

I immediately get back on my feet and rush towards the corridor's corner, only dodging Senpai by a second. I watch him step out of the room and glance in my direction, but he hasn't noticed me. He's walking away inside, moving at an incredibly slow pace.

My heart trembles in my chest. He's going to the nurse's office to help that girl, all because of me. He probably thinks I'm a complete idiot now.

Yet, I find my body slowly beginning to walk. It's not voluntary, but I'm advancing towards Senpai before he can head down the stairs. This is the last chance I'll ever have. If I fail here, then that's it for me. All I want is this one wish granted.

My hand reaches into my pocket and I finally take out my present.

A wristband.

I made it myself, even though I have no talent at making things. It has my drawings on it too, with little smiley faces and stars. My artistic skills aren't amazing either, but it doesn't look terrible. This is what I've been waiting so many years to give to him. If he takes this as a present, I feel like my feelings will finally be conveyed to him.

And it's got a pretty marble in the middle of it. It's blue, and has multiple patterns carved in it. It's rather colourful, and the best part about the wristband itself.

"U-Um," I mumble, gradually catching up to Senpai.

He didn't hear me. My voice is too quiet.

I move in closer and hold the wristband with two hands. He's so close now, all I have to do is get his attention.

"S-Sen-!"

My body loses all its energy. I feel myself become like jelly again and stumble over again, my jaw hitting the floor painfully as I fall over before I can reach him.

I hear a crack and groan.

"Huh?" Senpai yelps as he hears the sound, turns around, and sees me lying on the floor.

He's looking at me. He's looking right at me.

I try desperately to get up, but my body is failing to function once again. He's too close, I can't do anything properly like this.

"Woah, are you alright, Aishi?" he says as he quickly moves towards me and picks me up from my arms.

"I…"

"Are you sick again? Do you need to go see the nurse once more?"

"N-No, I…"

With the warmth of his hands, I feel myself get giddy all over. Strangely, it gives me enough adrenaline to stand up without his support, but I don't tell him, enjoying the sensation of his palms.

"I heard the sound of something breaking, do you know what it was?"

I pause.

Something breaking?

No, I didn't break anything. If I had, I would've felt much more pain than this. All I'm feeling right now is a stinging jaw.

Wait.

My fingers move around and I search for something.

The wristband. I don't feel it in my hands anymore.

Senpai looks worried as I instinctively begin looking around frantically. I turn my head from side-to-side, trying to find where it went.

The floor. Is it on the floor?

I glance downwards and see it.

Yes, I find the wristband on the floor.

With the marble in a thousand pieces.

It broke so easily, and now it's nothing but shards on the floor. I stare at it for countless moments, feeling my throat begin to sting.

I broke it. My present to Senpai, the one I had deemed so valuable, is now ruined. It's all my fault. It's all because of me. It's always because of me.

"Hm?" Senpai hums, looking where I'm looking. "Hey, is that yours..?"

"I…I…I…" is the only thing I can repeat in a whisper.

I'm doing my best to hold back my tears, but it's becoming increasingly difficult.

"Damn, it looks like a part of it shattered." he comments as he bends down and picks up the wristband.

I feel something clench my heart painfully as he holds it and looks at it.

Don't look at it. It's a failure, just like me. You don't need to bother holding it. I don't want you to see something like that. It's utterly useless now.

Senpai sees me almost cry and brightens his expression. "Oh I get it now, this was a gift for someone?"

"I…"

"Wow, I'm sorry about that. Nothing sucks more than breaking a present. It looks like you put a lot of effort into it, as well."

"W-"

What?

Effort?

It doesn't look pathetic?

"Hey, please don't cry." Senpai says almost pleadingly, looking a little worried and anxious.

I'm doing my best, Senpai…

"Um…um…" Senpai begins to mumble, looking like he's in deep thought. Is he trying to come up with a way to stop me from crying?

I feel the tears nearly pour out. I'm just about to cry now.

"Um, how about _I_ wear it?" he suddenly laughs.

Huh?

What…?

"I get why you're sad now, you don't want to give this to your friend now, do you?"

I slowly begin to nod, following what he's saying. "Y-Yes…"

"Then, I'll put it to good use!"

With a bright and cheerful smile, Senpai opens up the wristband and fastens it on his left wrist.

Even with the pretty marble missing, the faces and stars that I drew are still present on it. I expect him to feel a little embarrassed about putting on such a thing, but he looks nothing if not overjoyed.

"Sen…" I mutter.

"There!" he chuckles as he pats the wristband. "I think it's still a great gift."

This is…

This is all I wanted. I always longed to see him wear something I made him. It's on his wrist at this very moment, and the sensation of sadness is immediately sucked out of my body.

"Senpai…"

"I'm sorry, Aishi. It just looks like you haven't been enjoying Christmas today, so I thought I should cheer you up." he explains after a few moments. "If I'm being too silly, I'll give it back-"

" _No!"_ I suddenly cry out.

"Huh?"

I pause for a second, then lower my head. "I'd…l-l-like you to…k-keep….i-i-it…"

He smiles again. "You sure?"

"Y-Yes." I whisper, feeling my voice become weaker and weaker. At any moment, it might die out, but I force myself to keep talking. "T-Thank you…i-i-it…makes me…h-happy…to see it…on y-you."

For a moment, I expect Senpai to say something about the strange way I'm talking, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"Hey, in that case, I was glad to help!"

There's a long pause.

I look at him. He looks at me.

His eyes soften. The light from outside gleams through the curtains and reflects off of his eyes, making them somehow look even more perfect. Almost like a scene out of a fairytale, as the light shines through his pupils, he speaks extremely softly.

"Merry Christmas, Aishi."

My body heats up.

My face goes red.

My heart beats uncontrollably.

I almost cry again, this time out of joy.

And I find myself laughing.

It isn't the kind of laugh I've done multiple times already. It isn't the laugh that bursts out of me when my mind falls to a chaotic side.

No, this laugh is different. It's high-pitched, and it feels like the only way I can release this overwhelming happiness inside me without exploding.

I close my eyes. Take in a deep breath. Open my eyes again, and look directly at Senpai.

I guess…this holiday…

I guess Christmas…isn't that bad, after all.

" **Merry Christmas, Senpai."**


	33. No 28: The Contract

Things at Akademi High have only gotten worse.

The Delinquents practically run the school now. No matter where you are in the building, they'll always be there. I heard a few Delinquents are even patrolling the bathrooms.

Parents seem happy with this. To them, it looks like the school is trying their best to make sure nothing unfortunate happens to any more students. The school has done a good job of fooling everyone in that sense.

We had a parent-teacher meeting session yesterday, and cleverly enough, the Delinquents all conveniently disappeared from the school building. If the parents saw boys and girls with baseball bats roaming the area, they would do something about it, but Akademi High made sure something like that wouldn't happen.

Perhaps it's all Megami's doing, but this school is very good at cleaning up its mess whenever it needs to.

But this is a big problem for me. I need to get work done, but all these Delinquents around the school are making that difficult for me.

Kizuna.

That's the name of the girl that I caught talking to Senpai recently. She's part of the Drama Club apparently, and doesn't have a good reputation with people.

Info-chan told me that she's rather stuck-up and full of herself, but she didn't seem that way when she interacted with Senpai. She spoke so politely and classy to Senpai, which only makes me surer that she's up to something.

But it's hard to make a single move around school anymore. With all that's been going on, and with multiple girls dead and Amai 'missing', everyone is now on their toes. They're ready for the criminal lurking around Akademi High to pounce at any moment, so even the students seem to be a little more vigilant than usual.

I'm moving into dangerous territory as well. I need to watch Kizuna closely and gain more information to work with, but all these prying eyes everywhere is making that practically impossible. If I want to watch Kizuna without raising any suspicion I'll have to figure something out soon.

I walk into the school building for the first lesson of the day.

I'm not in the mood for school at all. Unfortunately, I'm still dealing with health problems. Migraines can show up at any moment and completely ruin my track of thought, and that has caused issues many times in the past.

Over the weekend, I tried to figure out what's going on with me. I recalled back to that time when I was trapped inside that strange factory and that experimental drug was pumped into me. I can remember being able to see people through walls, beat up grown men with ease, and have the kind of reflexes that others only dreamed of having.

But none of those things are available to me normally. I tried seeing through walls, nothing. I tried lifting up heavy things that we have at home, nothing. I tried to move as fast as I did back then, still nothing.

Still, I don't care about finding that drug for myself. That kind of thing is only useful for direct confrontations for impossible-to-survive situations, and that isn't how I work. Subtly is what keeps me alive.

And on top of that, I can assume that the use of that drug will continue to harm my health. Even though I've only used it once, for some time I could barely function at all. There's no way I'm injecting that experimental nonsense into myself ever again.

I suppose the first thing I can do is inspect the Drama Club's room. I can step inside and look around the place, as to avoid raising suspicion. If I target Kizuna directly, someone might notice, but entering a place where a lot of people are around shouldn't cause any problems.

I reach the first floor and find myself breathing heavily.

My body gets tired easily now, and that's rather concerning. I seriously need to look into this at some point.

But right now, I need to focus. Kizuna obviously has her eyes on Senpai, but I can't let that happen. No matter what it takes, I'll take her out of the picture without fail.

I…

I have to.

Regardless of my health condition…

I will pull through.

* * *

The door slowly creaked open.

A tall woman, looking stern and weary, entered the room silently.

The room had no light source besides a small ray of sunlight from a dusty window.

"Should I turn on the lights?" the woman asked with a firm voice.

Megami turned her chair around slightly and saw her secretary. She sighed.

"No,"

"Don't you think it's time you got out a bit?"

"No, I'm thinking."

"You've been 'thinking' for several hours, my Lady."

"There are a lot of things on my mind."

"You are in charge of your father's company, though I needn't remind you." the secretary muttered. "If you choose to hole yourself up in this room, people will start to question your leadership."

"I don't care."

"I think you do."

Megami groaned. She didn't like her secretary. She was just like a noisy and bossy mother.

The phone on her desk began to ring. Megami stared at it for a few moments, slowly reached her hand out, and reluctantly picked it up.

"Shiki here," she mumbled.

"Ah, ma'am! It's good that you finally answered…"

"Yeah, yeah, I've been busy. Who are you, again?"

"It's the school nurse, ma'am."

Megami frowned. "What the hell are you calling me for?"

"U-Um…you told me to inform you…if a specific student got sick?"

Megami immediately jumped out of her seat and clenched the phone with both hands.

"Ayano Aishi?!"

"Y-Yes…"

"Explain!"

"W-Well…she fell ill a few days ago. According to one of the students, she collapsed in the middle of a hallway, and when I looked at her…she had a terrible fever. I tried giving her different medicines and even an injection, but I couldn't find a way to bring her temperature down."

"And?"

"And…she suddenly woke up and left my office. Her condition didn't get better, but she got up and moved along as though she was completely fine. By instinct, I wanted to send her out with an ambulance…but…"

" _No!"_ Megami roared, quickly slamming her desk. She spoke through the phone with a sharp tone. "You won't tell _anyone,_ you hear me?"

"But…she might need help."

"Then let her help herself."

"Ma'am…"

"Don't forget, Kina, my word is _law._ " she snapped. "I own you. I own everything in Akademi High. If you become a problem for me, I'll just get rid of you."

"N-No, please! I like this job! I like helping students!"

"Then you'll keep your mouth nice and shut."

There was a short pause, then a response in a submissive tone. "Yes…ma'am…"

"Good. I'll contact you again soon."

The line went dead.

Megami leaned back in her chair, taking it all in.

"You seem distraught." her secretary commented.

"Things have…developed."

"How so?"

"Aishi is displaying medical issues."

"So?"

"There's a good chance she's experiencing the side effects of _that_ drug."

"Is that important?"

Megami thought for a moment, held her hand against her chin, then shook her head slowly. "No, I guess not. I've ordered any kind of chemical substance like that to be destroyed. Still…to know what the repercussions of such a thing is good to know."

"So you're going to keep watching her?"

"Of course."

"We really should talk about your obsession over that girl."

"What about it?"

"It's unhealthy."

"It's necessary."

"If Ayano Aishi truly is your enemy and a threat to Akademi High, just eliminate her."

Megami turned her back. No one understood anything.

She despised Yanderes, but she hated Aishi the most. That girl had somehow slipped through her fingers like no one else has been able to manage. Megami had the power and influence to simply order Aishi's assassination, capture her again, or plenty of other things.

But that would be too easy. She wouldn't be giving Aishi a fair chance at the game. This was a game between her and the most slippery of Yanderes. Megami didn't want to just dispose someone like that, she wanted Aishi to come at her with everything she had. She wanted to see Aishi do her best and still fail. That was the only way she could truly break her.

Only when Aishi had exhausted all of her options would Megami be able to establish dominance over a creature like her.

No one seemed to understand that. There wasn't a single person that could see through her perspective, and that confused her greatly. This was what needed to be done.

"Just leave things to me." Megami eventually responded. "This is my business. I'll operate as I see fit."

"What about the situation at Akademi High?"

"You mean the paranoid parents?"

"Yes, they still seem concerned after everything that has been going on."

"Please," Megami scoffed. "Taking care of those people is easy. Just say what they want to hear, talk about how much we grieve for the lost students, and they'll shut right up."

"That can only work for so long."

"God, is nagging all you can do?"

"I am your assistant. It is my duty to watch over your actions and advise you."

"Okay then, _advise._ " Megami spoke with a tone that poured out sarcasm and disrespect to be on full display.

The assistant didn't notice the tone. "Well, it seems obvious that you have no intents of simply killing Ayano Aishi."

"Damn right."

"So, instead, I suggest an alternative."

"Huh?"

"I've been busy recently, trying to find someone who can…resolve this issue for us."

"A person…?"

"Indeed." the assistant answered. She reached deep into her briefcase, held out a dusty folder, and handed it carefully to Megami. "I believe they are the solution to our problem."

At first glance, she wasn't impressed with what she saw.

But as she continued to read the report, her expression slowly changed from a frown to a grin.

She had never seen something like this before. As she learnt more and more about this person, the harder it was to believe that someone like this could exist. The report made it crystal clear that they were experienced, skilled, and practically unstoppable.

"What's…their real name?" Megami asked, still reading.

"No one knows." the assistant responded. "Their background is completely shrouded in mystery, I'm afraid."

"They seem…effective."

"Precisely. This person has never failed a mission, doesn't ask any questions, and has always gotten the job done."

"So you want me to hire them?"

"Yes. Even someone as allusive as Aishi cannot survive against something like this. You will push her to her absolute limits, our hired asset will eliminate her, and we can finally move onwards."

In all honesty, Megami felt a little spooked.

This assassin was good but…a little _too_ good. She hadn't even met this person yet, but she had already been struck with fear. It would've been at least slightly reassuring to know their _name_ , but not even _that_ was possible. This 'asset' seemed like the exact kind of people that Megami's late father had specifically warned to stay away from.

But it was undeniable that this idea was appealing. If she could actually get this assassin to hunt down Aishi and make her suffer…

Megami looked at the bottom of the report. "They're…rather expensive."

"Indeed, but it will be money well spent."

"Have you checked if they're available?"

"Yes. They've just recently finished a job in the countryside, and are now standing-by in the city, ready for new hirers."

"If I buy this assassin, I want to talk to them, you know." Megami added. "I want to give clear instructions on how they'll do their job."

"That is fine. I can arrange a meeting between you two if you decide to hire them."

With one last stare at the report, the Student Council President put it down and gave her assistant a look.

She remained silent for a few moments, then nodded slowly.

"Alright, I'll hire this person."

The assistant took a quick bow. "Very good, ma'am."

The deal was sealed. Aishi was now to be hunted down by the best of the best.

This would be the marking of something dastardly. Once this assassin was on the loose, there would be no stopping them.

Megami grinned, looked out of the small window near her desk, and whispered something quietly to herself.

"Your move, Ayano Aishi."


	34. No 29: The Stalker

I've got my eye close on this girl.

Kizana, the current leader of the Drama Club. She recently got too close to Senpai, so I've been watching her carefully. If she tries to make any proper approach on him, I'll know.

I've been skipping classes and ignoring my other activities because of it. Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, but there's no way I can let someone else get comfortable with Senpai behind my back. I've already dealt with a few girls who did so, and I'm not afraid to do the same to Kizana if it reaches that point.

But so far, things haven't been so simple. Kizana seems to only care about her Drama Club, and hardly makes time for anything else. She hasn't made a proper move on Senpai yet, which is making me confused about her intentions. Why did she act flirty towards Senpai but do nothing else since then? Am I reading too much into this?

Maybe. Maybe not.

I've been following behind Kizana and her posy for a few minutes now, and it seems they're heading towards the water fountain just outside.

I trail them slowly, making sure not to raise suspicion. Every time someone glanced my way, I'd lean behind a corner or pretend to be heading a separate direction.

They step outside and I follow. The whole group of boys and girls sit around the water fountain together, and I rest on a small bench close to them. I was worried about being spotted all this time, but none of them have even looked directly at me.

"Urgh, I am _starving._ " Kizana bursts out, looking at her posy. "Anyone got something good to eat?"

A young girl, pink hair, drenched in makeup. She answers first. "Here, I've got a cupcake."

"Thank you, Inkyu."

These people are probably all from the Drama Club. There's no way Kizana simply has so many friends. It's not possible.

"Amazing work this session as usual, Kuu." Kizana grins, turning to a girl with bright blue hair. "When you figure out how to bring out your emotions, you truly seem alive."

"It…was nothing special." Kuu responds in a monotone voice, reminding me slightly of myself.

"Nonsense. That's the essence of drama, to show all of yourself on stage."

"Wow, Kizana, you're so enlightened!" Inkyu cheered.

Other girls join in on the conversation and I gradually begin to wonder what I'm even doing here.

They're all so boring, and I'm not learning anything. I might as well just leave and make better use of my tim-

"So, Kizana, you seen any cute boys lately?" Inkyu asks.

I must've missed something. They're talking about guys now. This might be important.

"Not really." Kizana sighed, seeming extremely disappointed. "It's hard to find someone your type, you know?"

"What about Budo from 3-2? He's a real hunk."

"I'll pass. He's not what I'm looking for."

"What are you looking for, then?"

"Hmm…" Kizana hums, going into deep thought for a moment before deciding. "A…submissive type, I suppose."

"Oh, Kizana! You're a bad girl!" one of the other girls laughs, followed by a giggle from everyone else.

"I know, I know." Kizana smiled. "It sounds kinda slutty of me, but that's what I want. I need someone like that. If I don't get a boyfriend soon, there's no _way_ I'm becoming the most popular in the school."

The most…popular?

Is that what her goal is? Popularity?

That has to be the most idiotic thing I've heard by far, and I've heard plenty of people say stupid things before.

"That's why I've been interested in Taro Yamada recently." she continues.

Damn it.

Damn it all.

"Taro…Yamada…?" Kuu repeats, a completely blank expression on her face. "I don't remember someone called that."

Inkyu thinks for a while, then frowns. "Isn't he…that nobody who lost his sister?"

"That's right." Kizana nods.

"But…no one even _cared_ about him until he made the news, and that was only because Hanako Yamada was killed. Hell, even now, he's still a nobody."

You foolish little brat. Do you have any idea who you're talking about?

He is the physical manifestation of the word 'perfect'. A filthy, lowly moron like you might never be able to understand that, but don't you ever dare talk about him like you know him. I have half a mind to walk straight over to you and show you what happens when you bad mouth Senpai like that.

But I don't. Instead, I remind silent on the bench, my hands gripped tightly to its edge. I need to control myself.

Breathe, Ayano Aishi.

"I don't know…the way he's so timid and plain…I feel like I can mould anyone out of him. With just a bit of work, I could make him the ideal guy I'm looking for."

"How will you do that?"

Kizana giggled. "I have my ways."

This girl.

This girl doesn't even _like_ Senpai.

She's not interested in all the incredible things about him, she just wants to have a boyfriend to make herself seem better _and_ to have someone to manipulate.

If anyone let Kizana lay a hand on Senpai, he wouldn't be his perfect self anymore. She wants to change him.

I won't you, you hear me? I'll do everything and anything I can to make sure you _never_ do such a thing to my precious Senpai.

He is mine. Soon, I'll give you a clear reminder of that.

* * *

Since entering class and having time to stare out the window from my seat, I've been able to calm down a little.

Despite hiding it well, I was absolutely livid while listening to Kizana and her friends speak. Just the things they said made me want to slit their throats right then and there.

But now I'm starting to see everything from a more…stable perspective. I won't let Kizana anywhere near Senpai, that much is certain, but I have to keep a check on my self control.

The moment I lose that control…that will be my downfall.

The bell rings and everyone settles down. This is usually the exact moment that our teacher jumps straight into the lesson, but instead she holds her hands up until the class is silent then smiles.

"Boys and girls, I'm glad to let you on some good news." she speaks cheerfully. "We have a new student joining our class!"

Everyone begins whispering to each other. I'm still staring out the window. Who cares?

"Please give a warm welcome to Kurai Yakunan."

I glance up.

A girl wearing our traditional uniform, green eyes and blonde hair. That's the strangest combination I've ever seen.

The new student's eyes scan across the room, looking at everyone closely and carefully. It's undeniably similar to the way I look at people at times.

Her eyes eventually meet mine and she locks right on. Now, she's staring directly at me and no one else, and doesn't drop the stare until the teacher starts talking again.

"I hope you'll enjoy yourself here, Yakunan. Take whichever spare table you like and we'll get along with the lesson."

Yakunan paused for a few seconds then nodded. She gave a small smile but I could hardly see it. "Okay."

Kurai…Yakunan.

Interesting.

My knowledge of the meaning of certain names or words aren't amazing, since I don't listen much in classes, but I think I know this one…

Yakunan means misfortune, doesn't it?

Huh. That's a sad name for someone to have.

The girl scans the room again. She's obviously looking for something, even though I have no idea what. She slowly approaches me, walking down to the back of the room and next to both the window and me.

Yakunan. There are like four other seats, you don't have to specifically sit here.

Yet, regardless, she makes her decision and sits right down next to me. As she gets closer, I can begin to feel her stare on me again. I'm definitely not imagining it.

She pulls her books out, then faces me slowly. I pretend to still be looking out the window, trying to give her the message to back off a bit.

"Hello." she says timidly.

Oh boy, here we go.

I force a fake smile. "Hey there."

"Ayano Aishi, right?"

I frown.

What?

"How…do you know my name?"

She takes a moment to respond, but points down to my textbook. "Your name is written here."

A logical answer, but for some reason I'm not convinced.

Well, whatever. She's trying to get comfortable in her new environment, that's all. Hopefully she'll make friends soon so she won't bother me.

But even once the teacher begins teaching and the class is mostly quiet, she doesn't seem to be paying any attention. Instead, all of her attention is right on me. She keeps looking at me, turning my way every few minutes, hinting that she wants me to make conversation.

I don't. I simply face forward towards the teacher and pray that she eventually stops.

"What do you like to do, Ayano?"

Bloody hell.

"It's Aishi. You don't just start calling someone by their first name, you know." I grumble back.

This is one of those rare moments where I'm not bothered to hide my attitude, but Yakunan doesn't seem to notice at all.

"Sorry. Aishi, what are your hobbies?"

I can't tell her the truth.

She definitely doesn't need to know about my regular visits to the Senpai Shrine. That information is strictly classified.

But I don't really do anything else except for that, or gushing over one of the photos I've taken of Senpai.

I've got to make up something. Anything.

"Dancing." I answer with a groan.

"Dancing." she repeated back in a blank tone. She nods a few times. "That's nice. Nothing else?"

"No."

Who is this girl?

She acts like one of those annoying girls that wants a friend, yet she's talking so blankly and lifelessly. Is she just tired from a trip? Is she too hesitant to show emotions yet?

I have no clue, but the fact that I cannot get a read on this girl bugs it. It bugs me a lot.

"Want to be friends, Ayano Aishi?" she suddenly acts me with a completely straight face.

That was rather blunt. She hardly even built that up.

"Sure," I shrug, hoping that it'll make her quiet for now.

"Good. You know what friends do, right?"

"Uh, what?"

"They go everywhere together. Let's do the same."

Yakunan.

You make absolutely no sense.

But, since I gave her the answer she wanted, she finally stops talking and listens to the teacher.

I find myself wondering what this girl's deal is. I've been able to understand everyone I've come across so far, and know exactly what's going on in their heads, but not this oddity.

I hear the sound of a pencil against a piece of paper, so I assume that she's moved on now.

But as I look at her, I find that she isn't even holding the correct notebook in her hands. She's scribbling down short notes into a notepad, covering it up with her table to make sure that the teacher cannot see it. Every couple of seconds, she pauses, stares at me, then writes down more into the small notepad without paying even the slightest attention to the class.

It honestly feels like this girl is obsessed with me or something. I should keep a mental note to stay away from her in the future. She seems completely harmless, but her awkward behaviour still annoys me. It's best not to get associated. I've got far more important things to worry about.

But, much to my dismay, she puts the notepad down for a moment and leans towards me again. I glare back, almost angry now, as she refuses to leave me alone.

"What's your favourite flavour of ice cream?"

* * *

This school day was an absolute handful, but it's finally over and I can begin to relax.

According to Info-chan, Kizana enjoys to remain a little longer at school than everyone else, and rumour has it that she likes to gossip under one of the trees nearby. That's _extremely_ useful for me.

I need all the information about Kizana and her secrets, so if she's going to blab them all, I'll be there.

With a glance at my phone, I realize that I've still got time. Just enough time to get into position and get ready for Kizana. Even if this information about her schedule is false, I definitely cannot take the risk. Time to go.

As I stride over to the entrance, I spot a young boy standing at the side. Younger than me. He seems to be hard at work, quickly giving out little leaflets _to all the students that were leaving._

Is he handing out advertisements?

No, that isn't right. He's wearing the school uniform. He's someone from Akademi High.

As I try to step out, he instinctively notices me and passes the leaflet over to me, a slightly anxious look in his eyes. "Please take this."

I give a casual nod and walk out the building with the leaflet in hand.

There's a picture of a girl, kind of blurry, and a small paragraph under it.

 _Have you seen this girl?_

 _Amai from Akademi High. Missing girl._

 _Her parents miss her greatly. As we search for her, any kind of lead would be extremely appreciated. If you have seen this girl, please call 042-3025619._

What the…

Amai? You mean the Cooking Club President?

I almost laugh at the fact that they're still searching for her. She's dead, and her body is long gone thanks to Info-chan. Their search will never reach anything, it's rather pathetic to see that they're still trying after all this time. It doesn't look like they've moved on yet.

Oh well. That's not even important. I don't need to be reminded of that girl anymore.

Once I'm out of sight from the boy, I toss the leaflet and move over to the side of the building.

All the trees are in an orderly fashion, going down in a line. I like the symmetry of it. Organised.

I rush towards the corner of the building where the garbage disposal is. The view is slightly obstructed, however, and I fear that leaning over too much will get me spotted. I look around, trying to find another spot.

But as I do, I feel a massive headache hit me out of nowhere. I drop to my knees and frown, something is off. I suddenly feel terrible.

My heart shudders as I look up and see figures through the walls. Grey, undetailed figures, moving around and making slow movements. My eyes fail to focus on the distant figures properly and after a few blinks, I can hardly see them anymore.

I groan. This has been happening a lot lately.

I've consistently had moments where I don't feel like reality is correct. Sometimes…I can see things through walls despite something like that being impossible for ordinary people. I'm sure it's just my own hallucinations, but it's rather bothersome as well.

"Are you alright?"

I almost fall on my own head out of shock.

I turn my head and see green eyes, staring right at me.

"H-How did you find me?!" I welp, realizing that Yakunan is standing right behind me.

"It wasn't hard." she mumbled thoughtlessly, then tilted her head. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm, err, waiting for someone."

"Behind a bush?"

"Uh, yeah."

She looks at me blankly, nods her head, then kneels down beside me.

"Okay. I'll wait with you."

"Um, actually, I'd like to be alone."

"Don't worry, you won't bother you."

"You're already bothering me."

She doesn't even seem fazed by my tone. She simply stares on ahead, showing no reaction whatsoever.

This is incredibly troublesome. New student or not, if she finds out I'm actually stalking someone, that could completely ruin me. I have to think of a way to lose this girl, and fast.

"Look, Yakunan, I'm sure you have good intentions." I lie with a fake smile. "I get that you just want to hang out with me, but I really need my own space right now."

"Because your friend is coming?"

"Yeah, so if you could leave, that would be really helpful to me and-"

"Is that your friend over there?" she interrupts me, causing me to lose my train of thought and look in the direction she's pointing.

From around the corner, I see Kizana walk past with one of her female friends. The two seem to be heading straight to one of the cherry trees, just as Info-chan had said they would. So far things are as expected.

Except Yakunan, who I immediately look back at and frown.

"That's Kizana Sunobu." she comments, still emotionless. "She seems to be worried about something."

Huh? Worried?

I decide to ignore Yakunan and observe Kizana carefully. Yakunan seems to be an extremely dense person anyway, I'll just pretend that she's not here for now.

Kizana shakes her head at her friend as she sighs. "I don't know, it seems really cliché. It's like something straight out of a romance novel."

"Please, this is _perfect_." the girl giggles back. "You said you wanted to do this in the best way possible. Well, this _is_ the best way."

"I might become a laughing stock for doing something like this."

"Are you kidding? They'll all envy your style. You just bring Taro Yamada under this tree, and he'll be yours. There's no way any guy could resist it."

From her expression, Kizana seems slightly more convinced, but still stares at the tree. "Yeah, it has to be sure-fire. If he says no, the whole school will know that I got rejected by someone. That does _not_ do good things to your reputation."

"What will you say to him, anyway?"

"Oh," Kizana smiles. "Whatever he wants to hear, of course. I'll soften him up with some soft words, add a little incentive, and maybe just give him a peck on the cheek."

Peck on the cheek…?

She means…a kiss…?

"You're _so_ bad." her friend laughs.

"I try."

The two of them laugh together annoyingly, and it drags on for so long that I almost believe it'll last forever. Eventually, Kizana's friend puts on a more serious face and speaks.

"So, when will you do it?"

Kizana thinks for a moment, then shrugs. "Um, Friday, maybe? I don't have much going on then."

"Awesome. I'll tell the others to be there."

"Woah, woah. Slow down there, I want to be alone with him."

"Aw, come on!" the girl protests. "I want to see what happens!"

"Too bad. I'll describe it to you later, but don't go spreading this around."

The friend pouts for a bit before quickly giving up. She's surprisingly obedient.

They walk around the trees some more, then decide to leave the area. I watch slowly as they move out of sight and head towards the front gates.

I notice that I haven't been breathing normally for a while. I'm taking in breaths at an alarming rate, almost like I've been exercising. I try to bring the speed back down but it doesn't seem to be working.

Kizana Sunobu. You've made it completely clear now. You're one of the people who wish to meddle in Senpai and I's affairs. That won't do at all.

I really wanted to believe that I wouldn't have to bother with another one of these foolish girls, but they just seem to keep on coming. All I can hope for now is that Kizana will be the last.

I hear a small cough behind me and suddenly remember that Yakunan is still beside me.

She looks at me, then tilts her head. "Those two girls got you angry."

"I'm not angry."

"Your face is red."

"It's hot outside."

"You're breathing heavily."

"No I'm not."

God, this girl. I just want to kick her off the edge of a cliff. I just can't get rid of her.

"Will you follow them again?" she asks with a monotone voice.

"That's my business."

"Well," she continues regardless. "Do you want help?"

"…huh?"

"Do you want me to help you, Ayano Aishi?"

"I…why would you want to do that?"

"Because we're friends."

"I…you…"

I try to say something but simply fail. For once, I'm completely dumbfounded.

I honestly don't understand this girl at all. Nothing about her is logical. It doesn't help that she doesn't make any facial expressions either. I can't even tell when she's being serious or not.

This girl is a mystery, and not one that I want to solve.

"Whatever, just don't get in my way." I finally answer. My headache is killing me, I don't even have the energy to protest at this point.

I get up from my kneeling position and out of cover.

Walking over to the entrance with Yakunan trailing slowly behind me, I glance back at her before we go our separate ways.

Yet, even though it was for a split second, I swear I saw something.

So far, her face hasn't shown any sort of emotion on it, but I swear for a second that wasn't the case. I saw something on her face just as it was fading from her expression, and I have my doubts that I was just seeing things.

I saw her smile.

This girl…

Yakunan, she's…

Just who, or what, is she…?


	35. No 30: The Thorn In My Side

**Monday**

My arms feel like they're burning.

With my legs wedged between two branches, I climb out the bark and finally reach the cover of the tree's leaves. It took far too many attempts to get up here, but now I've got myself in a good spot at the very top.

Kizana said she's planning on baiting my Senpai into loving her on Friday, I've been in a race against time to stop her, but to do that I need information.

I've found out that she loves to sit down at this one tree outside the school building when she's by herself, which isn't often. There was no cover around the damn thing, so in the end I've been forced to climb it.

I can already feel my muscles start to ache, and my left leg is having a little spasm out of pain, but I cannot let go. She'll be here at any moment and I'll be able to see everything that she's trying to hide from others.

There _has_ to be a reason for her to hide under this tree every now and then, and I _will_ find out what.

I have to watch her like a hawk until Friday. I will not allow her out of my sight, not even for a second.

Info-chan let me know where she lives too, which will prove helpful, I'm sure. I'm not going to be a fool and kill her in her own home, like I did with Hanako, but having constant surveillance on her works heavily in my favour.

I haven't seen Yakunan in a while, and I'm not sure if that pleases me or worries me. Recently that new girl has been stuck to me by the hip, but she's disappeared for a day or two. That girl is a strange one, so if she's finally keeping a distance, that works just fine for me. She was simply an annoyance.

I hear sounds, though through the thickness of the leaves I can't see much. I try to tilt my head at different angles, but I've got myself a spot in the tree where I cannot see anything down below. That's troublesome.

But it's okay. I can still hear everything, and I hear footsteps walking in my direction. It's Kizana, can't be anyone else.

I take deep breaths and try to preserve as much strength into my arms and legs as possible. If I fell, it probably wouldn't be a very soft landing.

The footsteps are so close now that I'm sure the person is standing right beside the tree. What a fool Kizana is. I'm observing her from above and she doesn't even know it.

"Ayano Aishi?"

I almost fall from the shock, but grab a piece of bark with my right hand and hold on. I sit back and calm myself, despite being unable to see the person who spoke, I know exactly whose voice that is.

"The hell are you doing here, Yakunan?!" I hiss, my face burning red.

I can almost imagine her face as she mumbles emotionlessly. "I was looking for you. You were not anywhere to be found."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't want to be found?!"

"Why is that? Because you're spying on Kizana?"

"Yakunan. Beat it."

"But I want to help. I think you need my help."

"I don't anything from you. Why can't you just disappear?"

"I can't." she commented, then paused for a moment. "I must get you to trust me."

Huh?

She wants my trust?

I haven't given her any reason to want that, yet she's willing to follow me around everywhere in order to get that.

She really doesn't make any sense.

"I'll deal with you another time, okay? I'm doing something busy right now." I growl. But…something suddenly hits me. "Wait, how did you know I was up here?"

"Your left foot. It's sticking out from the leaves."

I grumble and pull my foot up into cover. I hadn't even noticed. "But…how did you know it was me?"

"Who else would be climbing trees?"

Who else…?

Why does she talk about me like she knows me? She doesn't know me. She doesn't know me at all. We're still complete strangers to each other, how would she know of the strange activities I participate in?

I'm missing something. I must being overlooking something. There has to be an explanation behind this weird girl.

"Is there space up there?" she asks after some silence.

"Space?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Let me climb up there too. We can spy on Kizana together."

Here she goes again with the 'charity work' for me.

"Go. Away."

Eventually, as though a blessing from above, she gives quick nod and walks away. I hear her footsteps get quieter and quieter until I'm certain that she's run off somewhere.

Thank god. It took a long time to get the message into that thick skull of hers, but it seems she finally understood.

That girl isn't right. While I'm waiting for Kizana to show up here, I'll have to make a call.

I carefully let go of one of the branches with my weaker hand and reach into my pocket. With some difficulty, I slip my phone out, go to my contacts, and call the one person that can shed some light into the subject.

 _Ring. Ring. Ri-_

She picks up almost immediately, which is expected of her at this point.

"Info-chan."

"Yes?" she answers, her voice a little distorted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Kurai Yakunan. An exchange student in my class. I need a background check on her."

For a while, the line goes completely silent. She doesn't say a word and I begin to wonder if I'm experiencing connection issues.

"Hold up," she finally speaks again. "Why do you want to know about some exchange student? I thought you were going after Kizana Sunobu."

"I am, but Yakunan is different. She's been lurking around me like a pest lately, and acts like she knows me well."

"…maybe she just wants to be friends?"

"I don't want a friend."

I hear Info-chan snicker through the phone, obviously highly amused. "Heh, alright, I'll give her a search and see what I find."

I put the phone down to my side and wait. Kizana still hasn't arrived and Info-chan is taking a while.

A minute passes.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

"Uh…Aishi?" the phone buzzes.

I hold it back up to my ear. "What took you so long? I don't have all day."

"You might not believe what I'm about to tell you."

I scoff. "Just tell me."

"She's no one."

"Huh?"

"She's off the grid. I can't find a single person in Japan with that name."

"Just check school records, she's an exchange student." I suggest with a frown.

"There _aren't_ any records, Aishi. If there were, I would've found them in no time flat."

I remain mostly puzzled. "So…what does that mean?"

After another moment of silence, she speaks again, but her tone of voice changes. She becomes surprising sincere for a second.

"I don't know. This is the first time this had happened. It's like she doesn't even exist."

"Then what do I-?"

"Just keep a close eye on that girl. I'll keep doing my research, see what I can find." she says almost frantically. "I'm intrigued now. Give me some time to look further into this."

"Alright."

The line goes dead.

My growing suspicion that something is up with that Yakunan has probably grown tenfold now.

A girl that doesn't have any records of existence anywhere? No birth certificate? No school logs?

She's an anomaly. A complete, utter anomaly. I'm beginning to hope that Info-chan finds something in her 'search', since that… _girl_ is really starting to worry me. She's someone that just popped out of nowhere and is now refusing to get out of my life.

I'd love to analyse her myself, but I have more important things to do. I simply don't have the time to deal with her right now, maybe at some other point.

More rustling breaks out. I fall straight out of my worry and begin focusing again.

You're here to watch Kizana. Remember that. Focus.

From the rustling, just a little bit of footsteps can be heard. The steps are extremely quiet, slow-paced, and are seemingly treading carefully. This person doesn't want to be seen next to this tree.

Bingo. It's her.

Cursing all the leaves obstructing my view, I hold my breath and try to listen for more sounds instead. There's a small thump that echoes every time she takes another step forward towards the tree, though it can barely be heard. She must be carrying something with her, something either heavy or something she's struggling to lift.

Her schoolbag?

No. I doubt any bag, regardless of its weight, makes a noise quite like what I'm hearing.

From the sound of a patch of grass being sat on, I understand that she's sitting down now, probably leaning her back to the tree.

Is it her? It has to be her, right?

"Urgh, school is such a drag." I hear her groan.

That irritating, stuck-up voice…it's her.

As much as I'd have to imagine ripping her toenails out one by one, I focus on staying up in the tree. My entire body is starting to ache, but I can't suddenly just reveal myself. One way or another, I've got to hold on.

"Bet Pippi thinks she's _so_ clever." Kizana mutters to herself, with the sound of her writing something in the background.

Pippi?

Pippi Osu?

"Saying Budo is out of my league…" she mumbles. "Let's see how smug you look when you find out I stole your underwear in swim class."

Her threat is quickly followed by a giggle, and most definitely not a pleasant one.

"That'll show her." she speaks more quietly this time, then pauses. Probably checking if anyone could hear her talking to herself, and then continues. "I don't even _want_ Budo, _that_ ship has long since sailed. Yamada is the guy I'm going to get…so take that."

With my right hand, I punch the branch I'm holding onto, then freeze as I realize she could've heard it.

But nothing. She didn't hear.

Don't be such an idiot, Ayano. You don't need to lose your temper right now, that can come later.

"Like, who does she even think she is?! I'm, like, her only friend! She should be thankful that I even paid attention to a girl that just sits down at the computer all day!"

And _you_ should be thankful there are Delinquents around that won't let me come down there and strangle you to death.

She eventually takes a break from talking to herself and focuses on whatever it is she's writing. Though she could be writing a script, I doubt that Kizana is much of the literature type, so now I wonder what it is she's scribbling down.

Keeping watch over her, I can see that she hasn't been sticking around Senpai at all. Ever since I first saw her talk to him, she hasn't gone close to him, probably having their next meeting for her plan on Friday. Instead, she's been coming here under this tree every day to…write?

More rustling, but it's not coming from Kizana's direction, but in the complete opposite one.

I pause. The sound of Kizana writing something pauses. We're both cautious.

I hear something walk out from behind the tree and walk over to Kizana, but I have to wait until they talk before I know what's going on.

"W-Who the hell are you?" Kizana welps, getting up.

Now I'm getting more curious. Who suddenly appeared?

"Hello, Kizana. I am Kurai Yakunan."

Oh dear god

Please, no.

Kizana sounds distressed. "Did…did you listen to me talk?"

"Would it make you feel any better if I said no?"

"S-So you did!"

"Indeed."

"If you tell anyone…" Kizana begins to threaten Yakunan, making me wish I could see them. "I'll destroy your reputation, got that?"

"I do not really have a reputation, but okay." Yakunan says in that drone-like voice of hers. "I need you to do something for me."

"H-Huh?"

"It would help my friend out a lot."

"W-what is it?"

"Stay away from Taro Yamada."

 _You imbecile._

You don't just approach people like that and just tell them what you want them to do! Is she absolutely insane? Is there not even the slightest shred of a brain inside of that girl's head?!

 _You're ruining everything._

"Just…get away…you creep!" Kizana finally shouts out, obviously not wanting to try and understand the strange person.

I hear her run off. I hear myself breathe heavily as I picture myself beating Yakunan to a bloody pulp for ruining everything.

Bugging me is one thing. Foiling my plans by 'helping' is another.

"Are you mad?!" I screech once I'm sure that Kizana has left.

There's silence. "I was trying to help."

"Where did you even hide?"

"Behind the tree."

Wait.

I could've just hidden myself there? Instead I climbed this tree like a damn monkey…?

There's only annoyance after annoyance.

Knowing that there's no way Kizana is coming back here with this freak around, I slowly start to come down from the tree. I didn't consider how I was going to come back down, and now I'm wobbling on the rough, jagged bark as I slide down the first half. The second half isn't that much, but from my perspective I'm pretty high up.

I take an immediate leap of faith and jump down the rest of the way, my back crashing onto the grass below. I growl as Yakunan simply watches with a deadpan expression.

Brushing off a leaf on my shoulder, I get to my feet and prepare myself to scream at her in a way that no one has done before. Not only do I still know nothing about her, but now I want her to just stop existing completely.

But as I get all riled up, I notice something on the ground. For a moment I'm distracted as I see a small notebook lying down in the area that Kizana was sitting.

Blue, strapped. Dozens of notes inside.

Choosing to ignore Yakunan for a second, I rush over to the notebook and start skimming through it.

It's a diary. Kizana's diary. There are notes of what happened at school, about who is dating who and what she ate for lunch today. Just piles of information scribbled down on a single page.

Kizana must've dropped it while getting away from Yakunan, and considered the fact that she hasn't come back to get it, there's a good chance she hasn't realized she's lost it yet.

This is perfect. Surely she's written something about Senpai here. Something I can use to my advantage. This is exactly what I need right now.

But my happiness and excitement is quickly cut off as someone leans their head closer to mine with an emotionless face but curious eyes.

"What's that you got there?"

Everything is going great, except for her.

She is an issue.

And she causes my pleased smile to immediately disappear.

* * *

 **Tuesday**

"What do _you_ want, punk?"

While trying to get into the girls' bathroom, I'm suddenly stopped by a Delinquent. Girl, medium height, scar just above her right eye, bandana across her mouth.

"I just want to use the toilet." I answer back, unsure if there really needs to be security at a place like _this_.

"Uh-huh, just remember I got my eye on you. You got five minutes and not a second more," she grumbles, her voice surprisingly gruff for a girl's. "Starting…now, go."

How bothersome. All these thugs roaming around school like guards is nothing but annoying.

I walk past the Delinquent and step into the bathroom.

This is the place where I killed for the first time, with my first victim being Mei Mio. I still remember it like yesterday, and the sensation of my hands strangling her throat is still very much vivid. That was one incredibly stressful day, especially considering that Mei wasn't even one of my targets. She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and she needed to be silenced.

It's admittedly very nostalgic. It feels so recent yet so long ago.

With a spring in my step, I go and lock myself in one of the stalls. I turn to the toilet, put its lid down, and step on top of it so I'm standing. Thanks to the texture of the toilet, I almost slip off of it a few times, but use my balance to stay standing.

I do this to make sure that my feet cannot be seen from outside the stall. That is very important.

With one hand, I open my schoolbag and pull out Kizana's diary. I acquired it yesterday out of complete blind luck, and I've read each and every single page _thoroughly_.

According to everything she's written, she likes being in the Drama Club but wants to aim for something higher. She cares a _lot_ about what people think about her, and thinks reputation is far more important than other things like grades. Because of this, she wants a boyfriend to make herself look better, and maybe even get him in the Drama Club with her.

But the diary says that she originally planned for that man to be Budo Masuta. She only changed her mind because of Budo's relatively high popularity. She fears if he rejects her, she'll be completely ruined.

So, to fix this, the diary says she wants to go for someone less noticeable. Someone that she can easily leave a stronger impression on them, hence her deciding to get her thieving claws on Senpai.

She also sketched out the pink blossom tree where she plans on 'confessing' to Senpai, but I tore out that page a long time ago.

But thanks to the notes in this book where she describes her regular routine, I know exactly where she'll usually be and when, which works for me.

In fact, any second now…

 _Click_.

The doors to the bathrooms open, and two girls enter. This time, I know who they are without fail.

"These idiots walking around with their baseball bats are so… _stupid_." Kizana huffs as her friend listens. They walk over to the sinks and look at themselves in the mirror.

I watch from the small crack of the stall, just barely seeing them.

There's a blonde girl accompanying her, Yuna Hina. The two of them admire their reflections before pulling out a bag of different products, and I see a pile of lipsticks in there.

"I dunno," Yuna answers while applying a light-pink colour to her lips. "After all the shit that's happened here at school, I'm glad we got people on patrol."

"Yeah, but they're, like, so rude!" Kizana grumbles. "They keep berating me wherever I go, who do they think they are?"

Yuna giggled. "They're the law now. Everyone'll get used to it soon."

"Not _me_."

There's a short pause. Kizana starts applying eye shadow carefully once she's done with her lipstick, decorating her face for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

"So, any advances on Taro?" Yuna breaks the silence.

I breathe irregularly, waiting for Kizana to respond.

"Not yet." she sighs. "I told you, Friday's the day for that. If I hang around him before then, he might get tired of me quickly."

"I have to admit, after paying him a little attention, he's actually kind of cute."

My teeth clench and grit.

"I know, right?" Kizana laughs in delight. "He's definitely not manly, but that timid side of him is pretty appealing."

I've been watching Kizana every chance I get, but I was still worried that she somehow managed to talk to him. It's good to know she plans to not interact with him until Friday. That gives me more time to think of something.

As the two girls start gossiping about other students, I back on the toilet and begin to rack my brain around everything.

Too many Delinquents to deal with her at school, every room in the entire building has at least one Delinquent roaming around. No matter what plan I brew up there'll always be a good chance of being seen.

And remembering what happened the last time I killed someone at my own home…well…that's not a good idea either.

Also, considering how people seem to always be flocking around Kizana due to her popularity, she'll never be alone in the first place.

"Psst…Ayano…" a whisper suddenly emits.

With a quiet gasp, I freeze on the spot and feel my heart race. There's only one person that emotionless voice could belong to.

I begin looking around my stall, searching for Yakunan. I search below me, to my left, to my right, and even the ceiling.

"Over…here…" the whisper continues.

I glance down, get off the toilet, and stare beneath the small gaps of the stall. On the other side of the wall there's someone watching me, her eyes poking out at the very bottom where I can see them, the eyes gazing lifelessly.

I can't believe it. Yakunan is in the stall next to mine.

"I am going to _kill_ you." I hiss, then lower the volume of my voice, fearing Kizana and Yuna outside might hear us.

I do not need Yakunan blowing my cover.

"You seem angry."

"Of course I'm angry!"

"Why? I am helping."

My whisper almost becomes a shout, but I manage to just barely hold it in. "You are _not_ helping."

"That's strange. I thought you would appreciate some assistance."

"Look, you are the exact opposite of assistance. I am trying to listen in on important things that Kizana might say, and you are nothing but a distraction, so-" I pause, then finish the sentence in the harshest tone I can make. _"Leave."_

Yakunan's eyes don't show any reaction, or any signs of defeat, but she gives a small nod.

"Okay, I will leave."

I breathe a sigh of relief.

She won't be able to trick me this time. If she doesn't actually leave I'll know, so now she just has to wait until Kizana isn't paying attention to exit the bathrooms and-

The stall doors unclick, my heart stops, and Yakunan walks straight out of her stall and reveals herself completely to Kizana and her friend.

"What the-?!" Kizana almost screams as she sees the robot-like girl step out.

I slip off the toilet and press my ear against the stall door, listening as Yakunan idiotically tries to leave while also revealing that she's been here the whole time.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Yakunan mutters, not sounding sorry at all. "I will be leaving now."

"Hold on, I checked all the stalls for feet! There wasn't anyone in them!" Kizana growls angrily, as frustrated about Yakunan as I am.

"I hid my feet by standing on the toilet."

"You sneaky little-!" Kizana hissed as she grabbed her makeup bag and turned to Yuna. "C'mon, we don't need to be around this freak!"

In a hurry, both the girls rush outside with their makeovers still half undone. They didn't want to even be around that girl, and neither do I.

Yakunan leaves quickly after them and I'm left there, sitting on the toilet, staring into space blankly.

That girl is honestly beyond me. Somehow, no matter how careful I try to be, she always figures out a way to indirectly ruin it all. It's like she doesn't have any brain whatsoever, but is still a mastermind when it comes to foiling everything I come up with. Any chance I've had of eavesdropping on Kizana and keeping close surveillance has been almost immediately squandered by her.

That girl is the most clumsy person I've ever met. How can someone ruin so many things by accident…?

As I groan weakly and gently bang my head against the stall door, frustration and confusion are the only things that can enter my head.

This girl needs to get out of my life. She's only been bad news since she's entered it.

For the love of god, just make her go away.

* * *

Night fell and the sound of a keyboard being used excessively echoed in a bedroom.

A red-haired girl's eyes were plastered to the screen of her computer. She had been working restlessly for hours now, tracing through different nodes and servers to find something that simply couldn't be found.

Info-chan, after so many failed attempts, finally took her hands off the keyboard and started to rest her fingers. She comfortably leaned back in her chair and sighed heavily in exhaustion. She had been worked down to the bone, and with absolutely nothing to show for it.

She had always been obsessed with information. Wherever there was information to be gained, she'd quickly flock to it at a moment's notice. She believed that information was power. Nothing else in the world could rival the amount of danger and influence certain kinds of information could hold. It had been her mind-set for a very long time, and she hardly remembered what she was like before that.

Yet, she had reached a complete roadblock.

Info-chan glared down at the notes on her desk. There was one slip of paper, with a name written down carefully.

Kurai Yakunan.

No matter who it was on the planet, there was always a trace of them. In a world where technology was expanding, it was practically impossible to make it seem like you didn't even exist.

But somehow, that was the case with Kurai Yakunan.

As a girl going to school, and being an exchange student, there had to be records of her around. Even at a shady school like Akademi High, there was no way they could've hid something from Info-chan. She knew all of the school's dirty little secrets.

But despite this, no matter how hard Info-chan searched, there wasn't even a hint of a trace for Yakunan's actual existence. No school records acknowledged her, no girls with that name were ever known to be attending Akademi High, and Info-chan couldn't even figure out where Yakunan had come from. She didn't which country Yakunan was in before, when she came to Japan, who she came with, nothing.

It would be simple to just write the situation off and say that perhaps Yakunan's parents have some sort of 'under-the-table' deal with the Government and don't want any records of themselves, Info-chan had seen such circumstances in the past firsthand.

But she couldn't just dismiss it. It was biting away at her. It worried her. There was a sneaking suspicion in her mind that there was something about Yakunan that she needed to be afraid of.

Info-chan had absolutely no reason to be afraid of Yakunan. They hadn't even met each other yet.

Yet…still…

Info-chan was worried sick. Her gut was telling her that something just wasn't right.

Something wasn't right at all.


	36. Author's Note 4

Hi, this is another author's note. Reading this is optional.

Because of the upcoming finals at school, which many people will have to go through at around this time, I will be unable to publish new chapters. I'll be far too busy preparing and studying to find any time to write. New chapters for all my stories were supposed to come out today, but I'm afraid to say that I really need some extra time.

For around 2-3 weeks, no updates will be posted on my stories. I promise, however, that I will immediately get back to writing once my finals are completed.

I hope you understand, and thank you for your patience. It means a lot.


	37. Important Update!

Hello and welcome, this is a _extremely_ important author's note. Please, before you go ahead and read the next chapter, let me just take a few moments of your time to keep you caught up with things.

Firstly, this story had secretly gone through a 'revamp' during its short break. As I started writing this story very early into Yandere Simulator's development, I was left with very little canon information to work with. Because of this, many of the Rival names in this story and their actual, canon names are different.

I have spent a lot of time carefully revamping that. Now, if you go ahead and look at previous chapters, you will see that _all_ Rival names have been fixed to their canon names from Yandere Simulator.

For example: 'Shikiyuki' has been converted to her canon name, Megami. The Cooking President 'Honoka' has been converted to her canon name, Amai.

I did this because I am aware that many people are fans of the Rivals of Yandere Simulator, and they might get confused if they read this story and suddenly see all the Rivals possessing completely different names. With this new revamp, all Rivals will have their canon names instead of the placeholder ones I had for them.

Now, you might be asking yourself: if this story is trying so hard to be as close to the canon as possible, what's the point of reading it?

Well, though I _will_ do my best to keep it similar to the canon lore, there are still several strange elements that are unique to this story.

Who is the man with the fox mask and how does he know Info-chan? Who is 'Boss' and what kind of drug is he carrying with him? What will all this conflict lead up to?

Those are the 'fanfiction' elements of this story, so you can still look forward to those!

Secondly, we have a new beta reader on board!

Unfortunately, my previous beta reader IvyPrincess has lost contact with me. I have tried multiple times to reach her, but to no success. It's a real shame, as she was a big help in making this story, and she worked very hard to please the readers by removing all the annoying typos that would show up. I am worried that she is no longer communicating with me, but I also have to move on.

Now our new beta reader, Pondfrost, has taken up the job and is doing great so far. A big thanks to her.

Ok, that's all for now.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope this information is useful to you as a reader. I hope you enjoy all future content! :)


	38. No 31: Lights, Camera, Action!

**Alright! I'm done with my finals, let's get to work!**

 **NOTE: before you read this chapter, I _highly_ advice you to read the author's note before this. It contains a _lot_ of important information, you'll probably be quite confused if you don't check it out.**

 **Special thanks to otaku9, bellekitten, MiyukiNoMai, JirachiAtSundown, Thelonewolf87, Ben T Blader, Loony Latias, otakufan375, and brycelozier for following/favouring! Keep being awesome! :)**

 **And big thanks to Pondfrost for beta reading.**

 **Now without further adieu, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wednesday**

Fists fly endlessly.

Drops of sweat drip down the body of the two boys as they fight valiantly. They throw punches and duck under each other, they move swiftly around the small mat beneath them, they gracefully dodge one another in rapid succession. It's more of a dance than a fight, honestly.

Eventually, Budo Masuta avoids a high kick, swings his right foot at his opponent's feet, and the sparring session is over. His opponent immediately loses his balance and collapses onto his backside. He groans for a moment but is helped back up by Budo a second later. The two pat each other on the back as though they had the time of their lives.

I watch from a distance, my eyes tracking Budo carefully.

No one made much of a fuss when I asked to assess one of the Karate Club sessions, so here I am. I'm honestly not all that interested in what they do here, not anymore, but I do need to talk to Budo.

I wait until he walks over to the side to take a quick swig from his water bottle, then approach him. His eyes quickly meet mine as I stand in front of him, and he greets me with a smile.

"Hey, Aishi. Did you enjoy watching?" he asked brightly, putting down his water bottle but keeping his full attention on me.

"Yes," I lie with a fake smile. "It was very entertaining. You fight rather…elegantly."

"I always did see karate as more of an art." Budo chuckles back, the compliment obviously pleasing him.

"Your opponent didn't stand much of a chance."

"Oh, you mean Ren? Nah, he's doing great, he just needs a little more practice."

From what I saw, that boy needed a lot more than just 'a little practice' but I don't say that out loud.

"Also," Budo continues with a noticeable glimmer in his eyes. "Considering you came back here, are you interested in rejoining the Club?"

"Ah, no," I answer quickly.

"You sure? We've always got room."

"I'm sure, but thank you for the offer."

"No problem," Budo responds as his smile begins to fade. "And I'm really sorry about Hanako. You two spent some time together in this Club, and though you two didn't seem to get along, it must be hard."

"Yes, it is," I lie again, almost laughing at the thought of grieving over Hanako. Almost. "It was a real shame."

"Yeah…"

He's got me off track all of a sudden. I'm not here to discuss Hanako, that girl is a thing of the past.

No, what I need with him is far more important.

"Budo, would you mind accompanying me?"

"Uh, where?"

"To the school roof. I have something I need to tell you, but not where others can hear."

An expression quickly pops up on Budo's face and I can tell that his thoughts are overwhelming him. He looks like I've told him something incredibly special, though I don't understand what. Is there something strange about talking on the school roof?

"Budo?" I call out quietly as he seems to be in a slight daze.

He snaps out of it. "Oh, uh, right. Sure, yeah, if you want to. It must be important if you waited until after school to talk to me."

"Indeed."

Budo turns around and looks at his club's members.

"Guys, I'll be heading out for a moment. Rai, Shen, get started on your sparring until I get back."

The two students nodded and Budo followed behind me.

After a long, long night at home, I've devised everything I'm going to do today. It's all been mapped out with precise details and I have very little time left to initiate my plan. By Friday, that damned Kizana will make her move on Senpai. I don't have long at all, so I need things to move forward as quickly as possible.

And it all starts with Budo. I require his absolute, unquestionable obedience to my requests in order for things to work. If he does play along, then I can finally get Kizana out of my hair for good. It won't be incredibly easy, especially considering what I want from him, but I always find a way.

As for Yakunan, that strange little oddity, I've made sure to get rid of her.

It wasn't easy. I had tried before to get her away from me, all to no success, but I figured it out in the end. Since she kept insisting that she wanted to help me, I asked her to search all of the supermarkets in my neighbourhood for several ingredients, and she immediately hopped off. I made sure that the ingredients I wrote on a list were all things that couldn't be normally found, but she didn't even seem to notice.

And there are a lot of supermarkets around, which means she'll be preoccupied for a very long time. That works heavily in my favour. The last thing I need right now is for her to screw things up even more.

My attention is directed back to Budo as we go up the stairway and reach the roof. I'm leading ahead while he trails slowly behind me, and once we're standing outside, he begins to speak.

"So, what's up?"

I turn around and look at him, the breeze flowing softly through my hair. "Firstly, I need to clarify one thing if that's okay with you."

"Sure." he responds, but looks confused.

"Are you single?"

The extremely long pause of silence that followed after my question was quite awkward.

At first, he remains completely still and no reaction shows up on his face. He stays like that for so long that I almost begin to think that he didn't hear me, but an expression finally pops up to show both his shock and embarrassment. He stares at me like he is expecting me to suddenly say that I was kidding or just messing with him, but I'm doing no such thing, and he soon realizes that.

"Aishi…are you…?"

"It's a simple question, can you please answer it?"

"Why do you want to know…?"

"It's very important."

He's still utterly dumbfounded, but I'm really not sure what he's so hesitant about. All he needs to do is say yes or no.

His eyes avert me. "Well…no, I was in some kinda relationship, but it ended and-"

"So, you are single."

"Um…" he pauses, his face a slightly different shade of colour than normal. "Yes."

"Good."

"…good…?"

I pull out my phone and check the time. It's only early noon, it's fine to move this further.

"Budo."

"Y-Yeah?"

I stare at him blankly.

"Let's go on a date."

* * *

A calm breeze flutters through the curtains.

Someone slowly enters the small, dimly-lit room. She wanders inside and closes the door behind her, making sure to latch all the various locks attached to it. It has been a long day.

Her eyes instinctively scan the room. She checks every corner, every gap, and every shadow as though she's done in a hundred times before. There's no one in the room with her, and while something like that seems obvious, the girl always made sure not to ever take any chances.

She glances at the charred walls around her, black and devoid of any colour. There's no furniture in the room, no carpet, no paintings, no household objects of any kind, yet this was home. She's only been living here for a week, and while others would've refused to stay in such a cold, empty place, she doesn't complain. She could easily afford to rent or even buy a much better home with actual furniture and more than just one miniature room, but she simply doesn't care. As long as it shelters her, she couldn't care less about what home she lives in.

Something twitches to her left. Her attention quickly falls onto it, watching it scurry frantically through the shadows. It only takes but a moment for a girl to pull out her pocket knife, toss it like a dart, and kill the creature. Her throw was perfectly accurate, even in the dark.

She moves closer to the dead creature to inspect it. It was a rat, now with a knife pierced savagely through its stomach. The girl takes the knife out and puts it back into her pocket, the rat blood still on it. She doesn't seem even slightly disturbed.

She sits down next to the corpse and stares out at nothing.

Girls her age are usually outside, doing something. Perhaps going out shopping, or even staying at home and browsing the Internet, but this girl did none of those things. Everyday she'd simply sit in this cramped, dirty home of hers and do absolutely nothing, not until the next day arrived.

She glances down at a piece of paper in her hand. A list. It was given to her for a specific reason, but she knows it wasn't necessary. It was nothing but a distraction.

The girl prepares herself to sit in the darkness for the next countless hours until the next day starts, as she did every other day, but is interrupted as the sound of a ring booms throughout the room. Someone is calling the girl, and it takes less than a few seconds for her to answer it.

"Yes." she whispers softly into the phone, so emotionlessly that it was impossible to tell if she's answering the phone or answering a question.

"…is the line secure?" a paranoid voice asks.

"It is."

"How goes your progress?"

"It's going at the expected pace."

"I hope you're using my funds well, I did pay you a fortune, you know?"

"It's being used sufficiently."

The person on the phone doesn't sound fully convinced. "You're not the kind of person that needs lectures, I know that, but I'll still warn you…I don't accept failures or mistakes."

"I know." the girl mutters, still no emotion present in her tone. "It will be done. Once a few more things are ready, I will eliminate my target."

"Without fail?"

"Without fail."

If anyone else was giving the same answer, there would be some doubt in the person that had asked, but this girl gave her answer in a quick and firm pace. It was clear that she was telling the truth.

"Good." the caller says as they start to put the phone down. "I have high hopes for you."

The line goes dead.

This should normally be the moment where the girl starts to freak out and get nervous, worrying about how much people expect from her, but she doesn't. This is her job. She's done it a hundred times, and it's all she'll be doing for the rest of her life. There hasn't been a single instance where she failed her client.

For what will come next, she needs her target to trust her. Her progress has been a little slower than anticipated, but that doesn't mean it will not succeed. There just needs to be another push, and then everything else should fall into place. She could try for a few more days…but…

The girl stares back at the colourless walls with lifeless eyes and remains as still as a statue.

Her boss' patience is running out. It's obvious that the target needs to be dealt with immediately. This girl doesn't usually skip important steps, but she knows that her client is going to lose her temper if things aren't sped up.

The girl nods slowly. It's decided.

Tomorrow, she'll end Ayano Aishi.

* * *

Things are rather awkward between us.

When I asked Budo out on a date, I expected him to play it off as calmly as possible. After all, I've analysed him for a while and noticed how popular he is. He shouldn't have any problem being around a girl.

Yet, as we walk through a tourist district together, I can tell he's extremely uncomfortable.

This is my first time outside with another boy, but I can't say I feel nervous or anything. If this was with Senpai, then that would be a completely different story, but with Budo I don't feel the same way he does. There's nothing to be so anxious about.

I point to a café that catches my eye. It's spacious and not very crowded. It's a good place to talk.

"Let's sit over there."

"Uh," he nods slowly. "Yeah…sure…"

I sit down and give my feet a well-earned rest. Budo takes a little while longer than me to take his seat, and I notice now that his eyes are completely glued to me.

"You okay?"

Budo glances around for a moment. "Yeah, it's just…uh…"

"What?"

"It's just…I've never seen you where anything besides your uniform, Aishi."

Oh, that's right. I changed clothes when we came over here.

The school uniform is rather starchy, so I didn't want to keep it on…and wearing it out in public gathers a bit of attention.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"No, not at all…" he shakes his head as he continues to look dazed. "Those jeans suit you."

"Thanks."

"So, uh, do you want me to order anything for you?"

"I'll have a latte."

Budo turns his head around and spots the workless waiter standing around. "Excuse me, can we get two lattes?"

The waiter grabs a tray nearby to her and gives a quick nod before rushing off.

"Are, uh, are you a coffee fan?" he asks, probably trying to make conversation.

"Not particularly. I'm just a little thirsty."

"Ah, I see."

It's time to get things back on track. We're wasting time here. "Now, Budo, do you know why I brought you here?"

"No, not really…"

"We're here because I have a very dire situation on my hands. It's the kind of situation that I would rather not tell anyone that I don't trust, so please, keep what I'm about to tell you to yourself."

Budo looks the polar opposite of relaxed. "What is this about, Aishi?"

"A close friend of mine…" I pretend to hesitate, fidgeting with my fingers to make it look as authentic as possible. "She's…gone into the…paid dating business."

He frowns and his jaw drops slightly. "You mean…?"

I nod nervously. "Yes…"

"Does she go to our school?"

"Yes,"

Now he looks upset. "Someone our age doing something like that? H-How'd it happen?"

"She…she was such a good friend. I used to follow her around everywhere, she was a wonderful person. She was always there for me, was kind to everyone no matter who they were, and never did anything wrong. She was like an idol to me, she was great…but…"

"But?"

"She became self-conscious about how she'd never really have anything to wear. As she saw more and more people dress themselves up in expensive jewellery, she envied them too much. She wanted the same things."

"Why didn't she just ask her family?"

"Her parents refused, saying they didn't have the money. My friend believed they were lying, and out of hate and desperation, she…she's selling her own body so that she can live up to the standards of other people…"

"That's…" Budo blinks a few times, struggling to take it all in. "That's just horrible."

"It's been going on for six months now…I don't know what to do…"

"Who is this friend of yours? Can you tell me her name?"

Jackpot.

That's one of the easiest ways to turn the direction of a conversation in any way you want without the other person catching on. If I had just spilled the name at once, he might've suspected something or believed I was purposely pulling him into this, but now he's asking for a name. Now, he's willingly making himself a part of the situation.

I thought there was a chance my tactic wouldn't work, but he fell right into it without any trouble. People really are predictable, aren't they?

"She's…Kizana…"

I watch as a look flashes across Budo's face but quickly disappears. Just for a second there, he reacted strangely to that name. It means something to him. Good.

Everything has been set in place now.

With Kizana's personal journal, I've been structuring this plan for a while now. It contains plenty of useful information, and by combining it with my own collected data, an idea suddenly popped into my head. I realized there was a perfectly simple solution to all of this, but it all has to start with Budo. Once he's fully on board, Kizana will be completely out of the picture and out of my life. The only thing I have to ensure is that Budo plays along exactly as I need him to for what's to come.

"Akademi High's…Kizana?" he whispers back at me as the waiter brings us our drinks. He doesn't even notice it. "But that's…there's no way…"

"I know, Budo. It was a shock to me too."

"…why are you telling me this?" he lowers his head. "I appreciate that you trust me enough to say all this, but…"

"It's because you can stop it."

His head pops back up. "Huh?"

"Kizana has a crush on you, but has done her best to hide it from you."

"I," Budo gasps as his eyes widen even further. "M-Me? Why?"

"She's always fancied you as a person, and loves all the great things you've done."

"But she never-"

"Never said anything? That's because she constantly feared that you would reject her. She couldn't stand the thought of something like that happening. It slowly ate away at her."

"Oh…"

"But if you were to tell her to stop her paid dating habits…I think she'd listen to you."

"Really?"

"Yes, you're a very important person to her."

"I…" he sighed as he scratched the back of his head, obviously feeling some sort of headache. "This is just…wow."

He's failing to process it all, I can see that much.

It would've been smarter to just feed this information to him piece-by-piece. Maybe if I had done it that way, he would be having an easier time dealing with it, but I simply don't have the time. He needs to believe me and he needs to do it now, because I don't have the luxury of waiting.

Budo slowly pushes his drink further across the table and away from himself. He doesn't want to have it anymore.

"I'll…I'll do whatever it takes, Aishi. I'm not all that close to Kizana, and I've heard some pretty bad things about her…but if I can help a fellow student fall back on to a righteous path, then I will."

"Good." I fake an extremely heavy sigh to emphasize my apparent relief. "I'm glad I can rely on you, Budo. You'll do great."

"So, how are you planning on doing this? Do you want me to just go up to her and tell her to stop?"

"Oh, no, no."

"Then what?"

"Kizana has been sharing a lot of her plans with me, and I heard of an upcoming play. She'll be there as a major role, you can find her and tell her to stop."

"Why a play?"

"Her parents don't really care about her acting career. They never show up. If you go there and cheer her on, it'll show that you're there for her, at least. It'll definitely sway her well enough for her to listen to you."

My explanation sounds off, and it's not the most convincing lie, but Budo seems to follow along regardless.

"Sure, yeah, that makes sense." he nods, then looks as serious as he can be. "I'll be there for the play. When is it?"

"Tomorrow, immediately after school. It'll be done in the main assembly hall."

"I see."

Budo looks at me straight in the eyes and I can tell that he wants to say something important.

"Aishi, thanks for being such a good friend to Kizana…" he smiles. "I'm sure she'll appreciate everything you're doing for her."

Uh, sure.

With that all out of the way, I get up from my chair and place a few coins on the table before moving away.

"Wait…you're leaving?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I still have so much to do. We'll talk again, Budo."

"Oh, ok," he gives a nervous chuckle. "Hope to see you soon, and I'll do my best for your friend tomorrow, I promise."

"Thanks. That means a lot."

I walk away and hear him start mumbling things to himself. He's obviously having an anxious conversation with himself.

But he's got himself caught up in my web, and there's no getting out. Now that he has agreed to attend that play, I can finally have my plan move underway. Things have been delayed multiple times by the foolish meddling of Yakunan and other issues, but that's finished now.

So, what is my plan?

Oh, it's very simple.

I acquired Kizana's diary a while back, and found that just a few weeks ago, she got all stressed out about an upcoming play. She wanted to be the lead role for it, but once her parents told her they'd be too busy to show up, she decided to pass on the role to someone else and not bother at all.

She wrote in her diary that she did it out of frustration, and that she actually does want to be a part of the play. The only thing that it's missing is someone important to her to show up and watch her perform. If there's one thing she cares about, it's impressing and dazzling her audience. It's a rather pathetic concept in my opinion, but this book thinks otherwise, constantly going on and on about her important it is what other people think about you.

On top of that, she also wrote about her crush on Budo Masuta in this thing. It's disgusting. She gets all close to Senpai and plans of confessing to him, while she's already interested in someone else?

That's not real love. You can't just love several people at once.

I cannot get Senpai out of my head even if I dedicated every moment of my life to trying. That's love.

Anyway, now that Budo will be attending, she'll have the incentive to have a role in the play after all.

Of course, that raises the question…why do I even care if Kizana is a part of that play or not?

That's where the real fun will come in. I've been struggling so hard with getting rid of Kizana without having the Delinquents on my back to report me. I almost even considered sparing Kizana any sort of ill fate and just finding a way to make her uninterested in Senpai, but that's no longer necessary.

When Kizana reclaims her role for that play, all I can say is that it'll be her last performance.

I place my hands into my pocket, happily fill my lungs with a large helping of fresh air, and walk down the street with a smile on my face.

Kizana will be out of the scene once I'm done with her.

Now let the show begin.


	39. No 32: Red Eyes

**Chapter, ahoy!**

 **Special thanks to noelle PL, Nooberson, necronlord21, Worst Person, kaxipoptos, Chaos Invoker, Sup3rJ4k3, THOMASBARNES, and ShadowPlaysGames for following/favouring this story. You're just the best :)**

 **And big thanks to Akitsune Lune for beta reading.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Thursday**

The show is about to begin.

I predicted that word would get out about Budo attending the school play, considering his popularity, and I was right. Just the day after I had my little talk with him and softened him up, students have already gone around spreading the rumour. I obviously had the backup plan of starting the rumour myself if no one else did, but that didn't appear to be necessary.

Good. Now Kizana will hear all about this and feel motivated to take the main role of the play.

Well, that's the plan anyway. It's what I'm counting on. If Kizana doesn't get up and stand on that stage tonight, well, things will get a lot more... complicated.

As for myself, I haven't been waiting around idle. I've been shadowing Budo around school for a while, making sure he doesn't come into contact with Kizana before the school play begins. It's only noon now, and the play won't start until nine o'clock at night, so I don't want Budo confronting her before then.

To convince Budo to attend the play, I had to make up the lie that Kizana was in the paid-dating business and needed someone like him to help her. And while it's true that Kizana's got a crush on him, I completely made up the dating stuff. There are no grounds for that.

But considering she's a slimy vixen that has a crush on more than one guy, I honestly wouldn't be surprised.

I also still haven't heard from Yakunan. It feels like it's been an eternity since I last saw her, and not because I missed her. It's simply because I had gotten used to her following me around everywhere like a stalker, so now it seems strange that I'm finally alone again. She's only been here at Akademi High for a short while, but she butted her head into my life so many times that it almost feels unnatural that she's not around to pester me.

I'm thankful, of course, but I wonder what the reason behind her sudden disappearance is. Perhaps she finally took the hint that I didn't want her as a friend?

Well, either way, good riddance. With her gone, I can actually have some peace of mind and get things done.

While students are rushing to make it to class, I hid behind a vacant row of lockers and glance at the notebook in my hand.

I decided to start using one as a means of keeping track of things. Recently, my life has been rather hectic between dealing with both Kizana and Yakunan. This might just prove essential to my needs.

I have to get the list I've written down done before dark. If even one of these steps are not done before the play starts, all of my planning and hard-work will just be flushed straight down the drain.

As for the first thing on the list: acquire a prop manager uniform.

Why? Because I want to be at that play, and not just as a part of the audience. I will need access to the backstage.

Now, you that raises the question, what is my ultimate goal?

What am I even trying to accomplish? Why encourage Kizana to play her role for the play? Why convince Budo to attend?

The answer for my manipulation of Budo has a simple answer; if he's there then Kizana will be there too, as proven by the recent events.

The answer to why Kizana should even _b_ _e_ at tonight's play.

It's because I will be able to kill her without any worries. Finally.

How? That's simple.

When I was younger, my parents would show me these insipid little cartoons, as though I was a normal child. It did serve a purpose, however; giving me inspiration for my perfect method of elimination for Kizana. Often, an actor onstage, would be hit on the head by a falling stage weight; in a comedic manner, of course.

And in those cartoons, the characters just get a little dizzy when that happens. In real life, however, those stage weights are usually made of pure metal or some kind of heavy alloy. If someone was actually hit by that...

Perhaps now my intentions are more obvious?

It'll seem like a complete accident. In a school swarming with the Delinquents and people with wary eyes, it's the only chance I have of killing her without being caught. Also, when I think about it, I like the concept of doing something like that to her.

Now then, time to acquire that uniform.

The first thing I do is move quickly over to the assembly hall outside. This is good timing, considering all normal students will be in class. Only the members of the Drama Club have permission to be wandering around right now, as this is a special day for them and they need to be prepared, allowing them to skip their lessons.

There isn't a single person to spot me as I approach the entrance to the hall and peek inside, ducking most of myself out of sight once I get really close.

It's as I suspected; the hall is completely full of students. People are rushing around frantically with all different kinds of equipment nestled in their arms.

Dozens and dozens of chairs are being moved from place to place, organized into rows upon rows. There are banners being thrown up and hung on the ceiling, with fragrant flowers attached neatly on the side. A maintenance crew is working on the actual stage, adjusting lights and testing the speakers for crisp and clear sounds. A handful teachers also scurry around in a pathetic attempt to help.

This play must be big. They're really going all out for it, no one is even pausing for a moment to catch their breath. They still have a couple of hours before parents even start arriving here, let alone the play itself. Either they're all incredibly paranoid, or there's just too much to do.

I fail to see what I'm looking for at first, but eventually notice a girl with a black shirt holding bold letters on it.

 _ **PROP TEAM**_

And there it is.

The girl I see helps with the moving of two chairs, then dashes quickly backstage. I wait for a few moments for her to come back out, but she remains out of my sight.

So then, the prop team is located backstage.

Thankfully, I've spent a lot of my time in the past few weeks scoping out the school while also keeping watch of Kizana and Senpai. I already know the layout of both buildings of our school, and have a home-made map of it all at home.

And I know there's another door at the other end of this building besides the main entrance, and it should get me behind everyone and keep me out of sight.

Hopefully.

I go around to the other side. If anyone inside decided to take a good look through the windows, they'd probably spot me, but they're all far too busy. Their minds are focused on the play's preparation and absolutely nothing else, which also means that they aren't paying even the slightest sliver of attention to their surroundings. I'm heavily thankful for that.

As I reach the other door, someone almost immediately bursts out of it. I quickly fall backwards and go round to the corner of the wall, and the person just barely misses me.

"Aw man, I gotta take a leak!" the boy whimpers as he runs off to the far edges of the school gardens.

Well, alright then.

I peer around the corner and check if anyone else is coming out through the backdoor.

Nope. No one else.

I slide straight in and find myself in a changing room.

Exactly as I had mapped it. This is behind everything else, and where I need to be in order to get the first thing on my list done.

I walk over to the large row of lockers and check if any are unlocked. Usually they aren't, of course, but there should always be that one person that's too forgetful and…

 _Click._

There we go. Some girl completely forgot to protect her valuables and just left her locker unlocked, and now she has to pay the price for it.

There are only a few shirts, jeans, and a hairbrush in here. Not really anything worth stealing.

But that's good. A large, vacant locker means I can hide inside it with no problem.

I reach into my pocket and carefully pull out a needle I had kept concealed. That dumb bimbo of a nurse keeps restocking her office with powerful Thiopental injections, just leaving them on her desk every time she's not around. Doing such a thing shows just how little of a brain she has, but also helps me out a lot. I can't exactly run around and stab people with this needle like an idiot, however, which is why I limit my usage of this injection to more situational needs, like now.

I hear footsteps. People are coming in, either to change into their clothes or change out of them.

I rush into the locker, close it, and clutch my needle carefully and at the ready.

Voices follow. I can't see who's speaking. Everything is dark now.

"Come on, we still have the sun and moon props to set up." someone groans.

"Nah, screw that." the other voice answers, frustrated. "We're being worked to _death_ here."

"You signed up for this."

"I signed up for an easy class that just helped out the Drama Club every now and then, not doing all of their damn work for them twenty four-seven."

Wait, these voices…

Boys?

No, no. I thought this was the girls' changing room. That cannot be right.

I mean, they _are_ right next to each other...maybe…

Oh dear, I don't want the prop team's male uniform. That's not part of the plan at all. I was going to infiltrate the girls' changing room, drug one of the girl's when they were alone, and just snatch up _that_ uniform.

I hear the boy's get closer, they must be wandering around the lockers.

"But did you hear about Kizana?"

"Yeah, jumping in to play the main role just on the day of the performance. Now that's ballsy."

"Must've sucked for Ikue though, she was really looking forward to being the main character, just for Kizana to barge in and take it all away without warning."

"She couldn't do anything about it either, could she? Kizana is the Drama Club leader after all."

"I heard Ikue cried after that."

"Damn."

They're not leaving.

They seem to just be walking around and just wasting time for themselves. I might be stuck in the dark, claustrophobic nest for a while.

It smells in here. A lot.

And it feels damp and cold. Is this the hell that is a boy's locker?

"Anyway, I'm going back outside." one of the boy's grumble. "I don't want another teacher chewing me out today."

The more reasonable boy leaves, but I can hear his friend still wandering about. He doesn't seem to want to do any of the work out in the assembly hall, and somehow thinks he can hide from it by hiding here.

He starts whispering himself. "Damn play...I'm not a slave…"

Just leave already.

"Wait...the hell…?" he mumbles.

I can hear him. He's coming straight towards me.

"That dumbass Haruto left his locker unlocked." the boy chuckles in amusement. "What an idiot. Now I gotta teach him a lesson by taking something."

He advances even closer, I can now see the boy through the grate-like gap of the locker. The boy is young, definitely younger than me, and I haven't seen his face before. He's got a giant smirk on it, however, and I can tell that he's got his mind set on doing exactly what I don't want him to.

This is completely wrong. I shouldn't even be in this room. I wanted one of the girls' uniforms, not some idiotic guy's. This was not how I wanted this first step to play out, and now he's going to see me in here and spread the word to everyone in the entire school about it. An operation so simple has now evolved into a new situation of which I have no control of. All I can do now is...

His hand grips the handle of the locker.

I hold the needle firmly in both of my hands.

The locker door opens and the outside light shines through.

"Huh-?"

And I dive straight for him.

* * *

Water splashes through her fingers with a soft mix of bubbly soap.

Ryoba's hands scrub the dishes down quickly and efficiently, getting each plate and glass sparkling in a pleasant glow in just a few moments. The dishwasher detergent cleanses every last filthy spot as Ryoba continues to scrub, and gives off a nice, sweet lemon aroma once its job is done.

The calm, collected woman had a small smile on her face as she finished up the last few dishes.

This work was very relaxing to her, and had become almost all she did all day. Washing the dishes, hoovering the house, mopping the rooms, it had all turned out to be her daily life as a mother. When this first started, she didn't know how she was going to cope with all this busywork, it didn't seem like the things someone like her would do. That changed gradually in time, as doing anything for her precious family meant the world to her.

More than anything, she loved being a good wife and mother.

It was satisfying to her. It...filled her.

Once the fine china had also been cleansed to perfection, Ryoba slipped off her rubber gloves and gave a short sigh.

"Honey, get in here." she says as she closes the tap.

She didn't need to shout, even though she didn't know what room her husband was in.

He knew to never leave her waiting.

Right on cue, she watches as he hurries into the kitchen. His eyes glance into hers for just a moment, but he averts that gaze almost immediately.

He still couldn't look her in the eyes properly, even after all these years.

That's alright, Ryoba kept telling herself, he just needed more time. He would learn to stare right at her soon enough. He had to.

"Yes...sweetheart…?" his voice is an absolute whisper. Ryoba barely hears it.

Her smile is bright, and she looks overjoyed to just see his face again.

"I'm done with the dishes. What do you want for lunch?"

"...a...sand..." he mutters.

"Hm?"

"A...sandwich...please..."

Her smile grows brighter. "Coming right up!"

He sits down at the kitchen table as Ryoba happily gets back to work.

This was a nice life they were living, she believed. It was the stable and calm marriage that she desired so much during her teenager years, and she had been sure to savour every last moment of it all. She wished that this lifestyle of theirs never ended.

That wasn't to say that this life she had built for the two of them didn't come with its own difficulties, however. Ryoba had to do some terrible things in order to achieve all of this, and her beloved took a very long time to accept his fate as her husband. It definitely was a challenge to make him...obedient, though Ryoba had a way of always getting exactly what she wanted.

One fateful day, the entire country had its sights on her, as well. Everyone everywhere was watching on the day that she was accused of all her crimes, it was as though the all country's people put their lives on pause when that case came around. That was a day Ryoba would never forget, she had no doubt about that.

And almost at the perfect timing, her dearest husband speaks out as he waits for his lunch.

"What happened...with the Journalist…?"

Ryoba doesn't turn to look at him, continuing to make his sandwich. "That's a strange thing to suddenly ask, darling."

"I didn't have the chance..."

"You didn't try to find out for yourself?"

"You don't let me read the newspapers anymore."

Ryoba places down two slices of white bread onto a clean plate. "Do you _really_ want to know?"

"...yes."

"He's dead."

Her beloved doesn't react or seem the slightest bit surprised. "Was...it fun?"

"Was what fun?"

"Killing him. Killing the one man...who stood up to you."

Ryoba slides in the ham of the sandwich. "I didn't kill him."

 _Now_ he was surprised. "...you didn't…?"

"If I'm to be honest with you, sweetheart, I was considering it. He had been nothing but a complete annoyance to us, but someone beat me to it."

"Who…?"

"I don't know, the authorities never tracked them down."

"How did he die?"

"A single gunshot. Very simple."

Ryoba was aware that by most logical conclusions, it would be most sensible to suspect her as the killer. She had every reason to, and her beloved knew she could. He knew just what exactly she was capable of.

But he believed her. Ryoba was not one to hide things from her husband, at least not anymore. If she ever did anything to other people that meddled in their affairs, she'd never have any trouble admitting it to him. She wouldn't even hesitate to confirm his suspicions.

If she said she didn't do it, then she didn't.

Still, Ryoba's prize looked slightly unnerved. "I see..."

"You look sad, darling." Ryoba noted as she brought the finished sandwich to the table. Her expression suddenly flickered, ever so quickly, to something else. "Don't tell me you're upset by his death?"

The man's entire body had a fully-visible shiver. "N-no, not...at all."

Ryoba's ominous, paranoia-inducing glare disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Her smile was back on her face in the blink of an eye.

"Good. Now enjoy your lunch, my dearest."

Before he took his first bite of the sandwich, he looked up and met her gaze for a second.

"How...is Ayano?"

Ryoba blinked, then turned away to leave the kitchen.

"She's doing just fine."

* * *

What happened in that locker was an absolute disaster.

The moment the boy opened it up, and almost saw me inside, I had to grab him. There was no other choice.

I pulled him into the locker with me, turned him around so he was facing away, and locked my right arm firmly around his neck. He struggled in my grip and gagged, very quickly bringing himself to hyperventilation, and leaving little work for me.

I could tell that he was strong, however. Younger than me, but had that dangerous physical strength that boys his age usually develop. While still choking, he pushed himself back and sent me along with him, smashing my skull against the back of the locker. He didn't know what was going on, and why someone was suddenly strangling him, but still had the base instinct to fight back.

Feeling the back of my head swell up from the impact, I started to strangle him harder and balance the Thiopental injection in my other hand.

It almost slipped out a few times as the boy's left elbow meets my face with agonizing force. I gasped, then growled, as I felt a bubbly, sizzling kind of pain from my nostrils as I got a nosebleed. I coughed and groaned weakly, but it also gave me enough adrenaline to suddenly hold the syringe properly.

Before he could've hit me again, I jabbed him ruthlessly with it. The needle pierced through the rough skin of his neck, and as I watched the transparent liquid of the needle's plunger slowly gush out and disappear, flowing into the boy's veins instead.

His movements got slow, then slower, and then he eventually slumped into my arms and became extremely heavy. I had to lay him down in the locker, making the small room I had in there before even smaller, and quickly began to undress him.

That was four hours ago.

The memory is still fresh in my mind.

Right now, that boy is still in that locker. I closed the door tight, put one of the spare padlocks on it, and left him in there. He's still there right now, dozing off like there's no tomorrow. Hopefully, he'll stay that way for a while longer.

This isn't how I saw things playing out, but I just have to adapt to the current circumstances and move on.

After waiting for so long, I finally hear the prop team being gathered in the main assembly hall. Time to be seen.

I move out of the locker room and follow as other's form up into a line and stand opposite of three teacher's watching over them. Everyone's wearing the black uniform of the prop team, and I wait any moment for one of the teachers to notice and point me out, but their eyes skim over everyone in a hurry because of the current rush the team is in. My uniform, while a boys' one, is allowing me to blend in by the looks of it.

It's a little too big for me, however, and looks rather baggy on my body. It smells, too.

"Hey, you." someone calls out.

I look straight ahead and see one of the teacher's walking up to me.

Oh no.

Female, and probably in her middle-ages. She looks confused.

"Yes, miss?"

She gazes at me. "Your nose doesn't look too good."

"Yes, I had a nosebleed."

"Nosebleed? From what?"

I freeze and realize I hadn't come up with a cover-up story for this.

"I, uh..."

The teacher stares, raising one eyebrow.

"I saw something perverted." is all I can think to say.

"What."

"What."

The longest silence that I've ever experienced follows.

Eventually, the teacher's expression relaxes and it's obvious to see that she doesn't actually care about my nose at all.

"You know what? That's not important. You're on the second floor, lighting."

I nod, glad that she gave me a more isolated position for backstage. "Understood."

I _am_ worried about my nose, however. I didn't take a look in the mirror to see it for myself, but I can tell from the pain that it isn't just something minor. I don't think it's broken, I think it would've hurt a lot more if it is, but I should have Mother take a look at it later.

The prop team splits up, no stopping to talk to each other. That's rather surprising, considering how annoyingly talkative people usually are. They all have a place assigned to them, and something to do. I don't have any idea how to handle the lighting, but I suppose I'll just have to improvise it, just so no one begins actually noticing me.

Once backstage, I take the rickety ladder and climb upwards, the boy's uniform I'm wearing just barely clinging to me. It's slowly becoming more and more uncomfortable.

I reach the top and look down. I'm very high up here. I didn't know the backstage was structured like this. I'm sure once the crowd comes in, which should just be any moment now, they will look small from this height. Like puppets in a child's play. How fitting.

This backstage area is structured so that even if I'm in plain view, if the audience look up, the darkness that follows when the main lights are off will keep me completely hidden. Thankfully, it looks like the teachers are in charge of the main lights instead of me, I'm just being trusted to handle the secondary stage lights, which are all currently off.

I kneel down, try not to focus too much on the heights, and look at the small electronic panel attached to the wall, a simple black panel with around twelve red buttons on it. It doesn't look like turning the stage lights will be that difficult then, even if the red buttons haven't been numbered. Just a little bit of experimentation will determine what button is for what light.

"Alright, everyone! Look alive! Students and their parents are being moved over here!" the male teacher roars, somehow loud enough to be heard by the entire prop team. "Drama Club members! Get on center stage!"

And that's the cue.

Getting a little dizzy, I look down and see just a handful of students getting onto the stage, all of them wearing all different kinds of clothes.

None of them really catch my eye except Kizana, who stands at the front of her team with blind confidence.

She's wearing an elegant dress, white, with an off-shoulder design and a low neckline. It shines bright and catches everyone else's glance as she makes herself seen. It is, unquestionable, a very expensive clothing. The school could never have afforded such a thing, let alone just give it out to students, so Kizana must've bought it herself.

Kizana always wanted to be seen.

Well, that wish of hers has been granted. Everyone is now focused on her, and probably _only_ on her as the play begins its grand start.

I lean back and make sure that Kizana doesn't see me if she looks up. I don't think she'll be able to recognize me when I'm this high up, but it's obviously best to not take the risk. She's caught me lurking around her before, so it might alarm her.

But as the actors for the play get into their positions on the stage, I remember about the stage weights that I'll be needing. I've got to find them, make it look like the ropes holding them were cut loose by complete accident, and finally let one of them loose on Kizana and let them do the bloody work for me.

My eyes train upwards, seeing a series of ropes leading to the highest level of the backstage floors. The third level. All of the ropes meet up right there, and while I cannot see where they end at this angle, it's safe to assume that the weights are being held just above me.

I turn to the stage light panel once again, and poke a few of the red buttons at complete random, and watch as just the backlights of the hall glow with life. It wasn't what I was going for, but it creates a nice backdrop and dark shadow on the main stage. Looks rather ominous, and considering I'm not hearing anyone complain about it, I guess it's good for now.

I leave my post and head back to the ladder. As long as they don't call me back to the lighting panel for a while, I'm in the clear.

I reach the top and see exactly what I'm looking for. Steel weights are stationed in an organized row, each one of them having their own task of holding a specific stage prop. I can see now why they need these things here. When a certain prop needs to lowered down from the sky, these weights are moved to different positions in order for that prop to come down and be visible, yet still be held up in the air.

Simple, yet effective.

I glance at the first prop being suspended by the steel weights. It clearly writes the exact weight of it by its side as well, 235KG. That's extremely heavy, even though its job is to hold up large objects, that seems like a little overkill if you ask me.

But, then again, I'm not complaining. Overkill might be exactly what I'm looking for.

I'd never be able to lift something like this up by myself, so I'm glad these things are already attached to the rope and doing their job. All I have to do is cut a part of the rope and the rest should fall into place by itself. Onto a certain place, that is.

The only thing I need to worry about now is my timing and my aim when dropping one of these things onto Kizana.

If I miss, that's it. One falling object like that would cancel the play immediately. Kizana would leave and would be closely monitored by the Delinquents, no doubt.

I've only got one shot, and one day until she runs off to Senpai and tries to make him hers. I have to stop her from breathing before then, and this is my only opportunity to achieve that without being caught.

No pressure.

I sit back and relax my body, slumping my shoulders down. I rub my hurt nose with one hand and sit down, hearing a spokesperson jump onto the stage and begin welcoming the audience to their performance. It's started. All I have to do now is watch carefully from here, wait until Kizana is on stage and at the angle I want her, and then hope for the best.

For now, I just need to relax.

At least, that's what I thought.

That's what I thought before something leapt towards me from the shadows.

I yelp as something cold and sharp scrapes against my skin. It was so quick and instantaneous that, for a moment, I freeze on the spot and fail to compute what just happened.

But the feeling of blood oozing out of my cut cheek wakes me back up, just in time for my attacker to dig their foot into my face as they kick me across the floor.

The person's foot connects directly with my already-injured nose and it becomes dangerously difficult not to scream out in agony. Instead, I get back onto my knees and look up. I need to know what the hell is going on, and what I'm dealing with right now.

With a dimly-lit glow, I see someone advancing slowly towards me.

I don't believe who it is I'm looking at.

"Yakunan…?"

As she gets closer, I'm able to see her more clearly.

Her facial expression is completely deadpan. She's holding a knife, large, in her left hand. Her uniform is stained in a dark colour, not blood, but something else. She doesn't say a word as she takes a few more steps, her right shoe balancing a drop of blood from my nose on it.

Her green eyes are staring right into mine.

"A knife…?"

Yakunan finally speaks. She sounds just as emotionless as ever. "A ceramic knife. Detectors can't pick it up."

"You..."

I didn't think of that.

I had _never_ thought of that.

She's...smarter?

"I have a mission to complete. We are in a sensitive area. Please, do not knock anything over as you die."

I smear the blood off my cheek and get back to my feet, staring wearily as the knife in her hand slowly gets pointed at my stomach.

This is different. This is severely different from any other time I've had to fight someone.

I've never fought a killer before.

"Who...are you?"

The girl doesn't blink. Her expressionless face hasn't flinched for even a split second, this entire time. She looks so empty. She looks like me.

"I am Kurai Yakunan."

"No," I shake my head, then take a couple of steps backwards with caution. "Who are you _really?_ "

Her hands move quickly. I shudder, expecting her to lash out and attack again.

But instead, her swift hands reach for her blonde hair. She grips the hair with both hands, pulls down on it firmly a few times, and removes it all. The hair slips off without warning, and short black hair reveals itself from underneath.

She tosses the blonde hair to the side.

It was a wig.

She then pokes two fingers of each hand into her eyes, carefully taking out something that has been resting on it. She slides the two delicate pieces, secures them in her hand's palm, then holds them out for me to see.

Contact lenses.

The blonde-haired girl with green eyes, Yakunan. That is the girl I had come to know and become affiliated with me.

And she doesn't even exist.

 _This_ girl has round and straight black hair, and piercingly sharp red eyes that glowed in the darkness. It makes her look like a demon.

With the black, ceramic knife held high and ready to strike me at any moment, the girl walked further towards me with the purest intent to kill.

"You really wish to know who I am?"

"Yes..."

Her eyes glow brighter.

"I am your Nemesis."


	40. No 33: The Curtain Call

**Ready for the next chapter?**

 **Special thanks to The Ender Pickaxe, Fanlicous, gumballtrash, and kaxipoptos for following/favouring this story. You're amazing.**

 **And big thanks to Akitsune Lune for beta reading.**

 **Hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?"

The play goes on below, a cliché performance of the famous Romeo and Juliet. The parents and special guests are sitting comfortably in their seats, watching in awe at the effort the actors were putting in.

But high above the stage, where the lights are stationed and the ladders ascend to…

I'm fighting for my life.

The shock of finding out that Yakunan had been faking her identity all this time is staggering, but now is not the time to mull over that.

The red-eyed girl dives straight for me, holding her ceramic knife carefully in her left hand. She jabs it forward and cuts through the middle of my prop team uniform. It creates a big tear, but slows the knife down enough for me to punch my attacker and make her recoil.

I wobble as I stand up, looking down at the stage below. If I fall from this height, I'm not going to be able to walk it off.

I try to think of what to do in this kind of situation, but I'm not given the luxury. The 'Nemesis' girl dives for me again, moving much faster this time.

My hands lock in front of me, anticipating her to come at me straight ahead. It's only when Nemesis slides down and kicks both of my legs that I realize she had tricked me, and I immediately lose all balance and collapse. My head smacks against the floor.

She's watching my every move, and somehow manages to figure out how to counter my counter-attacks. It's just ridiculous.

I scramble back to my feet but get quickly interrupted as Nemesis sits on top of me and pins me down.

"Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon!"

The sounds of the play are so loud, they easily drown out the noise we're making during our struggle. No one can tell that just above the stage, two girls are desperately trying to kill each other.

I growl as I try to throw Nemesis off, but she holds me down with just one hand, readying the other with the knife in it. Every ounce of my strength is being used here, trying to get out of the pin, tossing and turning and making it hard for her to keep me still. Her arms are like iron though; you'd never expect a young girl to have so much physical strength.

She doesn't even have any bulky muscles on her, so where is all this coming from?

Nemesis raises her knife up again, and stabs it down savagely.

I instinctively moved my head to side, causing the knife to stab into the floor instead. I feel my face get warm and moist in one particular spot, and realize that she still managed to cut my cheek.

Again.

With both of my cheeks bleeding now, I'm seriously pissed.

I watch as Nemesis pauses for a moment. Since she missed her stab, the knife got stuck in the floor next to me. She does her best to pull it back out, but it's stuck now.

I use the window of opportunity the second it shows itself, and quickly headbutt her with all I have. She doesn't show any facial reaction, but the way she's moving her head lets me know that she's dazed.

Still disoriented, I shove her off and finally stand up again. We both get up at the same time, but I kick her directly in the chin and watch her fall back down. My foot hurts from the impact, but seeing her finally take a beating is undeniably satisfying. Again, she doesn't show any signs of feeling pain, but she backs off for a moment and spits out some blood that had been accumulating in her mouth.

The two of us stand opposite each other again, staring silently into each other's eyes.

"O, she speaks, yet she says nothing!" the stage booms.

We both charge at one another, but Nemesis expectedly gets the better of me.

She swings a right hook and sends me stumbling back, then presses me against one of the stage weights and gets a quick grip around my neck. I can tell when someone is an experienced combatant, and this girl is no stranger to any of this. No matter how I try to keep up with her, she keeps locking me down for a strategic kill.

With my back to the iron weights, she starts to strangle me. Her palms squeeze tightly down onto my throat and I slowly feel the passage of air begin to close up. I grit my teeth and kick her as hard as I can, but it doesn't faze her, then kick a second time and watch her grimace for a second.

She finally gets a good grip on me and I begin to choke. Coughing out pitifully, all I can do is squirm around in her grasp.

It hurts. It really hurts.

My head starts to feel light, and my vision blurs out. My lungs are rapidly and desperately trying to pull in some air, but a torturing feeling washes over me as they fail, then fail again.

"Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes, of mortals that fall back to gaze on him!"

With another kick to the skin, her grip weakens slightly. I grab her by her black hair and tug down on it with full force, causing her to gasp and weaken even further. She tries to hold onto me, but I shoulder her in the back of the head before she does, and finally have a chance to breathe as she backs away and tries to recover.

My lungs fill with air again. My throat still stings like hell, but this is so much better.

I'm not given much time to bask in that glow, however, as Nemesis punches me right in the nose with a straight jab. Every time she hits me, I feel light, like my feet are no longer touching the ground. At this rate, she's going to knock me unconscious.

She's too fast. She's too strong.

In terms of fighting capabilities, the only real training I have were those few karate sessions I spent with Budo. Other than that, I've got nothing special up my sleeve, I've always had to depend on a weapon at hand in order to kill someone.

How do I kill Yaku-

I mean, how do I kill this Nemesis?

I can tell that, unlike me, this girl knows exactly what she's doing. Every move of hers is calculated, and she's not panicking like I am. She's far too calm for this kind of situation, her expression has been completely relaxed this entire time. She must be used to this.

She's a true professional.

She doesn't seem to want to waste any time either. She keeps coming at me, hitting me over and over until I eventually fall down. After that, I shudder to think about what she'll do to me.

I lunge and throw her into a pile of props on the side, watching her fall down but almost immediately get back up. She grabs one of the props, a metallic ball, and pitches it with a powerful toss. It wisps over my head, barely just missing my skull and cracking it in half.

Our eyes meet again.

"When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds, and sails upon the bosom of the air!"

I raise my right foot and attempt a high kick. Nemesis effortlessly holds her left arm up and blocks it, then grabs my leg and yanks it as hard as she can, making me slip down and lose my bearings.

She ducks down to follow me as I fall, but careens back as my other foot finds her chest and successfully kicks her. Both of my shoes slip off from the rapid movements, and I rush to her while barefooted, still determined to give her a good beating.

Her eyes track me as I run forward, however, and she gets ahold of my torn uniform. Once again showing just how ridiculously strong she is, she picks me up entirely from her grip on my clothes, then slams me directly into one of the nearby stage lights.

Glass shatters behind me and digs into the skin of my back. I yelp in agony as I can feel cuts all over, fresh and beginning to bleed.

She's brutal.

I push her off of me, and then drop to my knees. I gasp as I can feel the back of my shirt getting wet, slowly becoming soaked with my blood. It's like she just threw me through a window, and the pain is different from what I've felt before. This pain is piercing, like tiny needles in my flesh.

I look up at Nemesis. She doesn't look happy or satisfied, she's not capable of changing her facial expression, but she can tell that I felt that. She knows that this hurts way more than I can handle.

As I can continue to gasp, she turns around and starts walking away from me.

She strolls over to her black, ceramic knife from before. This time, she uses both of her hands and tugs on it with full force, finally pulling it from out of the floor. There's a glimpse of something in her eyes, and it's suddenly like I can feel all of her murderous intent at once.

She looks at me. I look at her.

Nothing needs to be said.

She runs towards me, slides down, and aims the knife directly for my chest.

But she doesn't know what I've got up my sleeve.

Improvising as I go along, I grab the a piece of the shattered glass next to me and stab it into Nemesis' left leg as she comes forward.

Nemesis, after all this, finally shows a reaction and widens her eyes. She looks down, ever so slowly with disbelief, and watches as crimson blood spews out of the wound and dribbles down to her foot. Even with all her expertise and combat familiarity, she was not expecting me to suddenly do something like that.

I might not be on the same level of physical prowess as her, but I know how to use the environment. She's a killing machine, with one intent and one setting, but I can adapt.

I'm given some time to breathe and recover as Nemesis wobbles backwards, then kneels down to take care of her injury.

She pants for a moment, grits her jaw as hard as she can, and suddenly pulls out the shard of glass from her leg. It's still difficult to tell that she's in pain, but I can hear her breathing get heavy and see her eyes close shut for a second. She's definitely feeling that.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

I pause.

That voice.

While Nemesis tears off some of her cloth to wrap around her leg, I glance down to look at the stage below.

Kizana.

After everything that had happened, I had almost forgotten what I had come here to do in the first place. Being attacked by a professional assassin can do that to you.

That's right, I came here tonight because this was my only chance of killing Kizana. It's Thursday already, I've run out of time to think of another way. If she slips out of my grasp tonight, that could mean the end of everything I've worked so hard for.

My eyes turn to one of the nearby ropes, then the knife in Nemesis' hand. I can't cut a rope that thick without some kind of tool…

And Nemesis has brought me exactly what I need.

Nemesis glares back, studying me and my stare carefully. She sees me look curiously at the rope holding up a heavy stage weight, then at her knife. It takes her a moment to catch on, but she soon realizes what I've got in mind now.

She gets into a stance and readies herself for me. There's no way she's just going to give her only weapon to me without a fight.

I want that knife to send a stage weight rocketing down on top of Kizana. Nemesis wants the knife to plunge it deep into my chest.

Here we go.

"Deny thy father and refuse thy name!"

I shoot forward, tackling Nemesis and dropping her down to the floor with me.

Nemesis' right fist moves like lightning, smacking directly in my jaw and causing me to bite on my own tongue. She slithers out of my grip, puts her foot down on my head, and tries to stab me again. I can feel the sharp steel come close to my skin, but miss as I yank my head up and force Nemesis to try and balance on foot.

Luckily, it's her bad foot, the one that still has blood on it.

She shakes, just for a moment, then fails to stand up for even another moment as I tackle her a second time.

While on top of her, I try to pin her down the same way she had tried to do before. I hold both of her hands down, dodge the swift attempt at a headbutt, and do my best to pry the ceramic knife out of her palm. My fingers dig into her skin as I pull with all my strength, trying to get the damn thing, but Nemesis is refusing to let go.

Then, without warning, she thrusts it upwards. The knife just barely misses my left eye socket as I move out of the way.

Even when pinned down like this, she's still way too dangerous.

She's doing all she can to kill me, and as much as I'd like to do the same back to her, she's not my current target. I didn't come here to fight her, and I'm still unsure if I can best her in a one-on-one confrontation like this. I have to focus and keep it in mind, she's not who I'm after.

I lower my head back down and desperately bite into Nemesis' left hand; that knife is coming out of there whether she likes it or not.

Nemesis begins to gasp as my teeth gradually sink into her fingers, my jaw grinding down on her bones and slowly squeezing the knife from her. She tries her best to shake me off, but I'm not budging even an inch. I'm not letting go until she gives me what I want.

My bite slowly gets stronger, and I can feel something moist gradually drip into my mouth. Her blood. My teeth are starting to get into her skin now.

Yet, despite that, the knife remains nestled safely in her palm. She's being so annoyingly resilient, but I'll chew this hand down to the bone if I have to.

As I chomp down one more time, the taste of her blood fresh on my tongue, I finally feel her weapon slip from one finger to the other.

Now.

I stop biting, hold down Nemesis by the neck with my left hand, and yank the knife straight out of her grip with my right.

The weapon feels heavy in my hand, but my heart begins to race as I finally obtain it. There's no time to waste, I have to use this thing before I'm delayed any longer.

"Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet!" I hear Kizana shout at the top of her lungs, going all out with her performance.

I jump off of Nemesis and make a break for the rope. It's the only thing holding this massive stage weight up, it's the only thing stopping Kizana from being crushed into nothing but a bloody pile of flesh and bones.

For the first time in awhile, I hear Nemesis speak. "I will not let you."

The moment I reach the rope, I feel two hands grab firmly onto my feet. I slip down onto my knees and growl as Nemesis starts pulling me back, forcing me away from the rope before I can cut it loose.

Can't you just…

 _Leave me alone?!_

My eyes glare with hatred as I watch Kizana move around the stage in her elegant dress, doing her best to show off her acting talent. She's mesmerising the entire crowd with her efforts. I want everyone to observe with horror as that girl dies the most painful death possible.

With Nemesis still dragging me away, I stab the knife into floor and begin to crawl across it.

All of my muscles pumping together in tandem, I use both the knife and my fingers to crawl closer and closer to the rope. I can feel Nemesis starting to cut off the circulation of blood in my legs by squeezing down so hard, but I cannot be stopped by her. I refuse to be thwarted.

Kizana. Will. Die.

I stretch and reach out my left hand as far as I can, and grab onto the rope. It takes everything I've got to pull myself closer towards it, and I can feel the rough fibre of the rope slowly dig into my palm as I drag myself forward.

"No." Nemesis snapped. She pulls down even harder, and it feels like my ankles are being crushed. "No. No."

But a large, delighted grin slowly grows along my cut cheeks. Kizana stands directly in the middle of the stage and raises both of her hands up, addressing the audience one last time.

"O, Romeo!"

This is it.

Holding the rope firmly in my left hand, I raise the knife in the other and slash it as swiftly as I can.

Nemesis leaps forward at the same time, her eyes wide open. _"No!"_

But she's simply too late.

The rope snaps.


	41. No 34: The Fox's Folly

**Hi, time for the next chapter. Thank you for waiting!**

 **Special thanks to MarinaSkies, Eclipse130, Lord Bamus, AnimeWolf38, WarriorMan199456, and Megan Lynch-Peabody for following/favouring this story. You're amazing.**

 **Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

What happened in the next few moments were...delicious.

A girl I had thought to be an ally turned out to be someone hired to stop me, and that reveal came out at the same time I was planning on slaughtering the Drama Club's leader, Kizana.

Things looked pretty bad for me.

But not anymore.

I watch in slow motion, with my eyes wide open, as the rope in front of me snaps apart. The tiny fibres holding the rope together very slowly comes loose and finally breaks off, allowing the separation. The giant stage weight that the rope was holding shook from side-to-side, then slid out of its housing and fell down to the stage below.

My heart fills with joy as I see the weight come rocketing down.

Right in the centre of the stage stands Kizana. Her elegant, fashionable white dress glows in the main spotlight. With her professionally-done makeup and designer clothes on, she's captivated everyone's gaze at the performance, mesmerizing them with her stunning beauty. All eyes are on her. No one can take their eyes off of this incredible actress.

Bouquets of roses are already at her feet. The audience is loving her. The crowd's attention has fallen onto her and nothing else.

And as such, I see their delighted expressions shift slightly as they notice something falling down from the sky. It's only for a split-second, but I catch the change of their looks.

Then the stage weight crashes on top of Kizana.

It takes a long time for anyone to properly react to it. As wooden splinters explode outwards and Kizana disappears under the weight, only dead silence follows for a while.

Then, the realization hits.

And everyone loses their minds.

One person screams before anyone else, and after that, the hall was engulfed with shrieks of horror. There are cries of fear and terror as they look at the sight before them, and I can already see small children quickly being escorted out of the building.

Only an arm sticks out from under the massive stage weight, and just a few seconds later, a pool of blood.

My eyes are fixed on everyone's expressions, watching each of them react in their own way. Even though most people have the same kind of response to things such as these, if you pay really close attention to them, you see that their reactions are all unique in a special way. It's undeniably entertaining to observe.

As my sights pan across the room, I catch a look at Budo.

He had been sitting at the back of the assembly hall, and had his own bouquet of flowers ready. My best guess is that he wanted to give it to Kizana at the end of her performance.

Now, he's standing up from his seat.

And his face looks like death.

Out of all the facial expressions I'm seeing the audience make, his is the one that stands out to me the most. It's a dark look, not full of anger or rage, but...despair.

Complete and utter despair.

I'm not sure how to describe it, it's something rather difficult to do.

But, if I had to put it into proper words.

It was the kind of expression that let you know exactly how much pain they were feeling. Entirely broken.

Out of character, my body shudders from the sight, just for a moment.

It immediately passes, but I notice it happen.

Strange.

Teachers are rushing past the frantic crowd, pushing students and parents aside as they hurried forward and climbed onto the stage. Out of the four teachers, only two of them have enough courage to get any closer than that, and kneel down next to the stage weight and Kizana.

The arm sticking out under the steel looks completely intact, but I highly doubt the rest of the body underneath looks the same way.

With two grown adults, they should've been able to lift the weight up, but they hesitate and decide not to. There's no point in doing so anyway, it's obvious that Kizana is dead.

Kizana is dead.

I repeat that phrase in my head a second time and feel an incredible amount of satisfaction.

"Oh, dear god..." the female teacher gasps.

The male teacher has tears in his eyes. "Someone call an ambulance, now!"

How pointless.

By the time one of the teachers manages to dial the number on their phone with their shaking hands, most of the audience has cleared out of the hall. They all scramble to the exit, screams and cries still fresh in the atmosphere, as they get as far away from this place as possible.

People bump violently past Budo as they leave the hall, but he remains frozen on the spot. He's one of the last people to go as he just stands there, as though he's lost his ability to move.

But a friend eventually tugs on his arm and pulls him outside with them. Budo's eyes were glued onto the stage as he left through the back door.

It took me so long to finally put this plan into play.

All in all, I admit that there were way too many variables, and way too many things that could've easily gone wrong, which they did.

But somehow, I made it work.

Senpai is safe from the disgusting clutches of Kizana of the Drama Club. And that is delicious.

"No..." a weak voice whispers.

I turn around and see Nemesis behind me.

She had let go of my leg a while ago, and now she's just kneeling down with her hands covering her face.

Because of that, I can't see want kind of expression she's making, but the tone of her voice makes it very clear that she's been affected by this as well.

"This isn't...right."

Feeling more triumphant than I've ever felt before, I grin at her. "And that's that. In the end, not even your meddling stopped me from achieving my goal."

I could only see Nemesis' eyes from behind her hand-covered face.

And they were staring right at me.

"Kizana...cannot be dead." she shook her head, almost in complete denial. "That's not right."

I frown. "Your mission was to kill me, right? Why are you so upset about that idiot Kizana?"

"This isn't...part of the contract..." she gasps.

"Contract?"

"My contract clearly stated to stop all of your illegal activities in Akademi High." she muttered, breathing heavily. "With that girl dead...I have officially failed...a contract."

At least now I've established more about this strange, odd girl.

My suspicions were correct, she is some kind of professional. The way she moved when she fought me, the way she wiped the floor with me when we went one-on-one, it all made me suspect that she was on a different level than me. This is her job, as a hired muscle or flat-out assassin.

But...assassins? In this century?

Well, it's still no surprise to me who could've contacted and hired Nemesis. There's only one person who loves to toy with me, then try to break me down, piece-by-piece. This just reeks of Megami's doing, I wouldn't be in the slightest bit shocked if I learned that the Student Council President came up with all this. It's just like her.

Whatever. I can't linger on that fact forever.

As of now, Megami is still untouchable. I have to keep that in mind. I cannot do anything to her.

Not yet.

"I am not allowed to fail."

"Huh?"

"It is not permitted. My contracts are supposed to be absolute..."

"What's so sacred about a slip of paper with some ink on it?" I chuckle, finding Nemesis' sudden malfunctioning amusing.

Nemesis' red eyes glared at me, but she was too shaken to lash out and attack.

"Someone like you could never understand."

"...maybe not."

And I mean it when I say that to her.

I can tell, just from my intuition alone, that she and I live in completely different worlds. The way the two of us see things around us must differ immensely, and I just can't get into that head of hers and understand how she thinks compared to me.

She's definitely not normal.

But then again, neither am I. Not by the typical standards.

"Anyway," I sigh, then smile back at her. "I think I'm done here."

"...what?"

I clear my throat, fill my air with lungs, and scream at the highest volume I could ever possibly manage.

"Someone help! This murderer's gonna kill me!"

My scream echoes throughout the entire hall and immediately catches the attention of the teachers below.

Nemesis looks at me and realizes what I'm doing.

Only the two of us are up her, above the stage. Only I have the uniform to show that I'm supposed to be up here, Nemesis isn't. Stack that on top of the fact that Nemesis still has a few drops of my blood stained into her clothes…

Nemesis' eyes widened and she knew how this was going to play out.

As the teachers frantically start climbing the ladder up to our position, Nemesis stands back up and stares at me. It's the kind of stare that's filled with scorn and hatred, and I absolutely love the sight of it.

She leaps over the railing behind her and climbs her way back down to ground level from the other side, dodging the teachers' line of sight as she managed to get down from all the high up here without a ladder.

Once the teachers reach the top and see me, I'm already crying my eyes out. Tears pour down my cut cheeks and I rub my pink bruises in fear. The first teacher rushes up to me and quickly embraces me, hugging me tightly in her arms. To really sell my performance, I cry even harder once I'm being hugged, and whimper weakly and pathetically.

The teachers are buying it instantly, and I know I'm in the clear.

As the group of teachers try to comfort me, telling me 'everything is going to be okay' or whatever, I know that they don't suspect me in the slightest.

I glance over the railings where Nemesis had disappeared off to, and think about just how dangerous of a person she still is.

I haven't seen the last of her.

Not by a long shot.

* * *

A whole week has passed since last Thursday.

It feels like the play of Romeo and Juliet was just yesterday, but time has moved on faster than I expected.

Akademi High responded to the death of the Drama Club President with a fancy ceremony, and the closure of its doors for two weeks. They even went through the trouble of paying for Kizana's upcoming funeral and everything. They did everything humanly possible to make themselves look good in this time of terror.

As for myself, I built a story that people bought in a heartbeat.

The official story of what happened that night was that Kizana was performing on stage, when a deviant climbed up above the play and used a ceramic knife to cut the rope to a dangerous stage weight. Before that, however, a brave member of the prop team, Ayano Aishi, confronted the deviant and tried to stop them. This 'hero' was cut a few times by the criminal, but was ultimately saved by the swift actions of the teachers.

It's a story everyone can get behind, and has been seen as the truth by all the grieving parents and students. After all, all the available evidence points to that conclusion.

I set everything up, improvised, and got away with my actions. One hundred percent scot-free.

Even that boy I had to attack, despite it not being part of the plan, didn't screw things up for me.

Once interviewed by the authorities, he said he was attacked by a shadow, in an instant. He couldn't come up with a proper description of me, no matter how hard he tried to remember. I attacked him from behind, and shocked him, rendering him unable to identify me.

Again, with the official story, the same unknown deviant that 'attacked' me, also attacked him.

Despite the fact that no one saw Nemesis besides me, she's still been labelled the mastermind behind Kizana's death.

That's what Akademi High and the authorities have reported.

Of course, I'm certain the Student Council President knew it was actually me. She's the one that hired Nemesis to stop me, after all. There's no one else it could've been.

But I put her in a rough place. I didn't leave any solid evidence behind for her to pick up, meaning she had no choice to go along with my plan. She's being forced to call someone else the murderer of Kizana while knowing that it'll let me get away without consequences. Can't have the perfect student council president promoting fear-mongering and terror, now can we?

That must be frustrating to her, there's no doubt about that.

I lay down on my bed, and cushion myself comfortably in the sheets.

With this, I've saved Senpai of the cruel fate of being with Kizana.

She never would've been able to appreciate him properly. I did him a favour, and one day I'm sure he'll thank me for it.

I wonder how Budo is handling this. I basically dragged him into this whole thing, all for my own convenience, and it looked like he had been really affected by Kizana's end. I certainly didn't expect him to seem so upset.

Perhaps it's because I lied and told him that Kizana had feelings for him. Maybe Budo started liking her back after that.

Or maybe it happened after he saw her performance on stage. Maybe both.

Either way, he proved to be a useful pawn. If it wasn't for him, Kizana may have never gone through with the Romeo and Juliet play in the first place. I'm glad that he's such a gullible person.

That should be the end to all of that business.

I should be able to put the past events behind me now.

But there's one thing that still bothers me.

One thing that I cannot let go.

Nemesis.

That girl is dangerous. More dangerous than even the Student Council President.

If she hadn't been so focused on stopping Kizana's demise, it seems likely she would've killed me.

She was so experienced in hand-to-hand combat, completely wiping the floor with me for the most part. I have to keep tabs on someone like that, or I might just become her next victim after all.

Just thinking about how I had been fooled by her, how I believed the act she had put up, how I was so easily tricked…

If I think about it too much, it'll overwhelm me. I mustn't linger in the past, for my own sake.

I grab my phone from under my pillow and press on Info-chan's contact.

The behaviour of Info-chan has gradually started to worry me more and more. These past few weeks, she's barely had any contact with me. I remember the days where she was always on my back, always checking up on me to see what I was doing. It was like I was her obsession, her source of entertainment that she could never resist watching.

But now, I have to actively call her in order for us to communicate.

I wonder what exactly is going on. Is her interest in me waning?

No, that can't be it. She still knows about everything I do, and helps me out whenever I ask her to. She's still very much involved in my affairs, all by her own consent.

I'll have to find out the actual reason from the devil herself.

The phone rings four times, then gets picked up.

"Info-chan."

The line is quiet for a second. "...is Kizana dead?"

"Yes. You've read the news, haven't you?"

"No," she mutters, the tone of uncertainty in her voice. "I've been too busy."

"Busy?"

"Yeah."

"Is that why you haven't been keeping in touch?"

"That's right." Info-chan confirms. She sounds apologetic. "I would be helping you out more...but personal affairs have come up."

"Don't forget. We are in the same boat, Info-chan. I expect you to serve me in every way you can."

"...I understand."

"Now, then." I sigh. "Have you found any more information about our mystery girl?"

"You mean Yakunan?"

"She seems to go by Nemesis now," I explain, but I know the details aren't needed. "Have you been looking around?"

I hear some papers being shuffled around in the background. "Yeah...but it's like I said before...that girl is a complete ghost."

"I need something. Anything."

"I'm sorry, Aishi. I'll find anything I can, just...don't piss her off in the meantime?"

My expression darkens. "I think we're already way past that."

"Anyway," Info-chan continues on, not letting the conversation slow down. "I have to go. I'll call you back if I find out anything more."

"You sound like you're in a hurry."

"Yeah...I am."

"For what?"

I hear a deep sigh that I wasn't supposed to, then an answer. "A meeting."

Info-chan hangs up and the call ends.

Now I'm curious, and actually interested in what kind of affairs Info-chan could be involving herself with. She sounded slightly frantic, actually, but did her best to hide it from me. Something is weighing heavily on her mind, and she's not ready to fully dedicate her time to me right now.

Lying down on my bed, I stare up at the blank, colourless ceiling.

What is Info-chan up to?

* * *

Info-chan put the phone down, and watched the light on the screen slowly die out.

Without a doubt, she was starting to raise suspicions with her ally. By now, Aishi might've even begun wondering if they were still on the same team. That wasn't a comforting thought, and Info-chan hoped that her ally didn't suddenly come to that conclusion.

"Something bothering you, ma'am?"

Info-chan looked away from the car window.

She had been daydreaming. She hadn't even noticed it.

"No, Ryusei. I'm fine."

The man sitting beside her nodded his head, then looked the other way and didn't pry further.

A black, designer tuxedo adorned him. He wore it incredibly well, and it only defined his bulky muscles even better.

Info-chan stared at her bodyguard.

He was extremely expensive, and it took a lot of different bribes and deals with underground businesses in order to get him working for her. It took time and effort, but she was relieved she had him under her command, no one had a better track record than him. Once he guarded someone, even hell itself couldn't get past him.

She relaxed herself comfortably in the seat of the limousine. They had been driving for a while now, but she still hadn't gotten tired of the smooth, silky texture of the leather seats. It made her feel like royalty.

But she couldn't get too comfortable. She was on her way to the most important meeting she had ever attended, and she was tense from the anxiety.

She was on her way to meet Aishi's shadow. The man that had been hiding behind the scenes the entire time, watching her and Aishi like they were his puppets.

He was the strangest person Info-chan had ever come across, and she didn't like the mystery surrounding him.

By his own accord, he shot the Journalist to save Aishi's life and made himself involved in her business. He also snuck an experimental drug into a factory where Aishi had been kidnapped in order to help her escape.

And, most importantly, he had some kind of connection to Info-chan herself. Not only did he keep taunting her by knowing exactly where she was at all times, but also somehow knew her actual name.

He was the exact definition of a mystery.

So she was going to do what she was best at. She was going to solve this new mystery.

She knew that this work was making herself more and more distant from Aishi, but it simply couldn't be helped. This needed to be dealt with, and she would try to do it as quickly and as swiftly as possible. Aishi was right, they were in the same boat, which meant she needed to get this done immediately.

Just a bit more time. She just needed a bit more time.

"Ma'am," Ryusei's deep voice caught her off guard. "We're here."

She looked out the car window.

There was nothing but ruin outside. She could see a junkyard, with remnants of what used to be a building scattered across the earth. Scraps of metal and other alloys had a blanket of dirt and sand covering them, almost making it look like the building was raising out of the ground.

In reality, this was a building that had long since gone under.

"So, this is the place..." Info-chan mumbled, only talking to herself.

She opened the limousine door and stepped outside.

It was a grave for materials she was walking into. The smell of grinded charcoal and oil was still fresh in the air, even after so long since the building's collapse. She wondered why the authorities never found this area, and never bothered to clean up the wreckage.

Ryusei followed slowly behind her, his expression stern and sharp. He was several times taller than her, and was intimidating even to her.

He said nothing about the place they were in. He had no reaction.

Info-chan gazed up and saw a large pile of rubble that had gathered up into a small hill.

And at the top of the hill, Info-chan finally saw the person she was supposed to be meeting with.

A man, young and slim, was sitting on the pile. His legs were kicked out, and his body was leaning casually on the wreckage. He was calm.

She glared at the fox mask he was wearing. He still had the damn thing on.

A small chuckle was heard behind the mask as he noticed her.

"Ah, my dearest Info-chan!" he laughed, as though he was genuinely happy to see her. "I'm glad you were able to make it."

He slid down the pile of metal, and wiped the dust that had settled on his white suit. His body language was strange, and he moved around with a peculiar spring in his step.

The masked man came to approach Info-chan, but a large hand suddenly blocked his path.

Ryusei's arm had been extended outwards. "That's close enough."

"Well, well." the masked man sighed. "You brought company with you, Info-chan?"

Silence followed as several more men stepped out of the limousine. They were all wearing tuxedos, and were almost as large as Ryusei. They were like giants, with muscles clearly defined under their professional clothing.

Seven bodyguards, including Ryusei, stood behind Info-chan. None of them had any expression on their faces, but set out a certain atmosphere from themselves.

"A little." Info-chan answered.

The masked man had to tilt his head up to look face-to-face at the bodyguards. With his face hidden, it was difficult to tell what his actual reaction was.

"So, these are your goons?"

Info-chan frowned. "That's right."

"I'm disappointed." he shook his head and looked down. "I expected more from you..."

"You didn't bring anyone with you?"

"Nope," he waved his hands outwards, pointing at the area around him. "Just me."

"That's reckless of you."

She didn't trust this man in the slightest, but also knew that her bodyguards would've immediately spotted other people if they were around. This masked man really did come alone.

Info-chan couldn't think of a more foolish thing to do. This wasn't a meeting between friends, and he knew how much she hated him. Did he choose to come alone to prove a point, or was he simply too overconfident?

"Why..." she growled, as though she was insulted.

The man tilted his head to the side. "Why what?"

"Why would you do something like that?"

"It was a gesture of peace. A sign to show I mean you no harm."

"That's idiotic." she scoffed. "You know I want to kill you."

The masked man took a step back and hummed. He looked slightly confused for a moment, like he didn't know what she was talking about.

Then he snapped his fingers in realization.

"Ah, right. Because I killed the Journalist?"

Info-chan could feel her body heating up. "Don't tell me you forgot."

"Sorry. I've just been so busy that it slipped my mind." he chuckled calmly.

"How can you be so calm?" she was just about ready to order her men to rip him apart. "Are you insane?"

"Insane?" he repeated the word in an amused tone. "Probably."

"That's it...I'm going to-!"

The masked man clapped his hands together and interrupted her.

He was calm, but that was for a certain reason. Despite being completely alone and defenseless, there was a unique aura coming from him. It was the kind of aura that somehow made it feel like he was the one in control during this meeting.

He was a complete oddity. None of his actions up until this point made any sense, and that was what made him feel threatening.

"Now then." he spoke up, his voice sounding different. His tone was serious now. "That's enough for the pleasantries. I called you here for business."

"Make it quick. Give me a reason not to kill you right here and now."

"I understand that you hate me. That's a given. I killed your father, the esteemed Journalist, in cold blood. Despite doing it to protect your client, Ayano Aishi, you resent me for it."

Info-chan said nothing. She wanted to see what he was playing at.

"And by all means, if you really want to kill me for that, I don't have a problem with it. Go ahead and do it anytime." he continued.

He leant his head forward and the pitch of his voice deepened.

"But the two of us need to get rid of the big elephant in the room, first."

Info-chan pushed her glasses up and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I think you already know." he answered back. He sounded all-knowing. "I know you've been asking people to spy on me. And I know you're spying on someone else, too."

Info-chan lowered her head. She understood now. "Boss."

"Indeed. The man simply known as 'Boss'. You've been trying to keep tabs on him and find out more about his fancy, next-generation drug."

"How do you know about that?"

"That's not important." he responded vaguely. "What is important is that you haven't made any progress. He's not a guy you can just track down with a few bribes and blackmails here and there."

"...and?"

"Work together with me, Info-chan, and I can assure you that your search will be successful."

"You want to track him down too?"

"Yes."

"Why…?"

"Why?" the masked man sounded slightly irritated. "He has a governmental-class, classified drug right in the palm of his hands. That cannot go on."

Info-chan looked at their surroundings, and nodded her head at the ruins around them.

"This place is the factory where Aishi used that drug, and Megami was made aware of it." she started explaining. "She hunted down each site that Boss had, and burnt them to the ground. He's not producing any more of that drug."

"Correct, but that doesn't mean he still doesn't have his leftovers, does it?"

Info-chan paused.

The masked man continued. "You don't want someone like that roaming around, threatening to involve himself with Ayano Aishi once again, do you?"

With a sigh, Info-chan closed her eyes and folded her arms.

"And what exactly do you have to offer me?"

"Hm?"

"What would make you so useful to my investigation?"

"Wow, I thought you would've figured out that much by now." he spoke smugly.

He readjusted the top part of his white suit and cleared his throat.

"That agency you made a deal with, you remember them?"

Info-chan's face darkened. Yet another thing he should've have known. "Of course."

"You gave away all your dirt on people and all your contacts, just for the assurance that they would come to your aid if you ever got caught during your illegal affairs." the masked man sounded both disappointed and slightly disgusted. "That was the biggest mistake you could've ever made."

"Why?"

"Because I leaked into that agency. All it took was a contact here and there, a few lines of computer code finding their way into the agency's devices, and all of their dirty little secrets came running out."

Info-chan took a small step back. "You..."

"How do you think I know so much about your business, both with Ayano Aishi and Boss? All of those contacts you recklessly gave away..."

He held his hands out and laughed quietly behind his mask.

"...they're mine now."

"No..."

Info-chan felt weak in her knees.

She had given up all of her previous associates in a deal for her safety, she had never imagined that someone would pick up those lost contacts and use them again. If anyone managed to do that, they would essentially have political power all over Japan.

With her pride very carefully shattered, she could feel her hands shaking. She looked weak in front of the man she despised the most.

"You...son of a..."

"That makes me valuable, doesn't it?"

Info-chan did her best to regain her composure. "It also makes sense to get rid of a dangerous threat like you."

"Maybe, maybe..." he nodded his head in agreement, then chuckled. "But then you'll never know what kind of connection your father and I had."

Info-chan cursed under her breath.

That was true. This man had hinted before that he knew the Journalist very well, and they were closer than just business partners. If the two of them had actually been friends at one point, she wanted to know more about it.

"Don't you see? Getting into your personal business, taunting and threatening you, poking my nose in your work...it was all to get your attention. It was all to make you take me seriously."

She wanted to kill this man.

But she wanted more information about her late father, and she needed Boss and his strange drug out of the picture as well.

She was in a rough position. Never before had she ever felt so unprepared for something.

"You know that even if we partner up..." she muttered with hostility. "Once it's done, I'll still do everything I can to kill you, right?"

The masked man laughed. "As I said already, that's fine by me."

Slowly, he lifted up his right hand and held it out for Info-chan. His hand was covered by a silky, white glove, probably more posh than everything else he was wearing. He was holding it out for a handshake.

"What do you say, Info-chan?" his voice was completely relaxed. "Will we work together?"

She hesitated. If she went through with this, there was no easy way of getting back out.

This agreement didn't look like a contract, but she was certain it was one. These kinds of deals couldn't be made if one party wasn't absolutely certain they wanted to go through with it.

"If we work together...I need to trust you."

"Oh?" he raised his head up slightly. "And how can I earn your precious trust?"

"Show me your face." she commanded, her arms still folded. "Tell me who you really are."

There was a long pause of silence.

The masked man was silent for what felt like a while. He was motionless on the spot, and there was no telling what his expression was. For several moments, he just stood opposite of Info-chan, as still as a statue.

But finally, there was a faint laugh to be found from the man. The laugh was harder to hear, but sounded more genuine than the other ones.

"Perceptive...clever...witty..." he mumbled. "I love it."

Info-chan stared him down. "Well?"

"My name is Samuru Saikou. Entrepreneur. The Heir to Saikou Corp, the business that owns everything you could ever imagine."

His introduction was unbelievable, yet Info-chan was startled beyond repair. She froze on the spot as her eyes widened and her jaw hung open slightly.

"T-The S-Saikou family…?" She could feel sweat drip down the side of her face. "That m-means...y-you…?"

"That's right." Samuru nodded his head, his voice still relaxed. "I'm the unfortunate brother of your dear Megami."

"You..."

There were many questions that exploded inside of her mind. So many things she wanted to say. This had completely caught her off-guard, this kind of information was something hidden so well that she never managed to find it on her own.

She couldn't speak. This had shocked her too much.

"And..." Samuru continued, his tone sounding highly entertained.

All the colour from Info-chan's face had immediately been drained.

She stared in awe.

And…?

"As for who I _really_ am…" he whispered.

His left hand was raised up, and went for his fox mask. With no clear hesitation in his movements, he removed it.

What waited underneath only put Info-chan more into awe.

A handsome young man, with fair skin, bright blue eyes, and short silver hair smiled at Info-chan. He looked stunning, and despite hating the man, she could recognize it. He looked only slightly older than her, but still significantly wiser.

She stared silently at Samuru. Samuru grinned back.

It was a joyful grin, bright and full of glee, yet calm and calculating.

"I guess you could say..."

His sky-blue eyes meet hers.

Their gazes locked onto each other's.

Info-chan's heart felt frozen by a block of sharp, chilling ice.

"...a Yandere?"


	42. No 35: Down and Dirty (Special)

**Hi, thank you for waiting! I've been looking forward to this chapter.**

 **As of now, this story will have an occasional Special chapter. In these chapters, you will follow through Info-chan's journey and struggles, which will impact the story in a significant way.**

 **The pattern will be 2 normal chapters, then one Special chapter. Rinse and repeat. I'm hoping you'll like this new change!**

 **Special thanks to Francisco Devilman Warrior, Artax Cooper, MarinaSkies, and The Silent Stalker for following/favouring this story! It means a lot.**

 **Want to join the YanSim Fanfic community? Join us on Discord!: discord .gg/H2bnzX8**

 **Phew, that was a long author's note. Sorry!**

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Why don't you take a seat?"

Everything around Info-chan seemed a blur.

She sat down on the wooden chair, and stared directly at Samuru. The silver-haired man watched silently as she did as he said, then sat down opposite her.

Her guards, including the Ryusei the giant, stood behind with small pistols nestled comfortably in their grips.

She didn't know where she was, but she didn't like the look of it. After Info-chan and Samuru made the deal of working alongside each other, he told her to meet him at a criminal bar. The bar was several floors beneath the ground, and she needed to take several underground metros in order to reach the place.

And now that she was here? She didn't like the vibe.

Fat bearded men with scars all over their faces surrounded the bar. The bar itself was just a massive cave with lights attached randomly across the ceiling. The tables were worn out and cracked, and Info-chan was sure her chair was about to break under her weight at any second.

This was a bar deep underground, cheap and filthy, and only a place that thieves and crooks gathered at. She had no idea why she was here, and was fairly certain that if she stayed here long enough, she would catch multiple diseases.

But what bothered her most was Samuru.

She glared at the man. He was so calm, with one elbow resting on the fragile table, his gaze directed at the band that was playing in the corner. He didn't look dirty and scarred like everyone else, and his expensive tuxedo made him stand out so incredibly much in a bar like this.

So why did he seem so comfortable?

A woman came over to their table. A waitress.

She looked tired and bored as she walked over, but suddenly brightened up with a smile as she saw Samuru. She quickly reached their table and pulled out her notepad.

Info-chan stared at the woman. Ugly, for the most part. A big gap in her two front teeth, but she still looked several times better than everyone else in the area.

"Samuru, darling!" she giggled, then leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Samuru's expression didn't change, and he gave her a polite nod. "Mashiro."

The waitress turned and saw Info-chan. "Who's your friend?"

"A business partner." he simply answered, and the waitress seemed to know exactly what he meant. "Can I get a tequila?"

"And another one for your friend?"

Info-chan wanted to speak for herself. "No, thanks."

There was a deep frown on her face. She would never drink anything from here, not even the water. There was no telling where the drinks came from or if the glasses they were served in were even clean.

Mashiro skipped away and Samuru grinned as he watched her go.

Info-chan's stare was still on him. "I'm guessing you're a regular here."

"You could say that." he chuckled.

"The heir to an almighty, all-powerful company hanging around an underground bar..." she muttered, utter disdain in her voice. "How quaint."

"Hm, a little bite in your tone." he looked highly amused, and not at all insulted. "I like that."

The waitress came back to them again, with a tray in one hand.

She leaned over the table, deliberately giving Samuru a look at her cleavage, and placed his drink down. Giving a quick bow, she gave a wink to him and walked off to serve the table next to them.

Info-chan was disgusted.

Samuru hadn't noticed at all, and didn't return the wink to Mashiro. Or more like, he wasn't interested at all.

But he still retained his signature smile through it all, never once fading from his face.

It puzzled her beyond compare.

"You lied to me," she said as Samuru held up his glass.

"I lied? When?"

"When you introduced yourself."

He took a sip of his drink, then cocked his head to the side. "You don't believe that I'm from the Saikou family?"

"No," she shook her head and gave a sigh. "You could've come up with a far less ridiculous lie to get me working with you."

"Then, what is it?"

Her stare was like ice. "When you said you were a Yandere."

The music behind them jazzed and boomed throughout the room, making it impossible to be heard for a few moments.

As they waited for the music to quiet down again, Samuru took another sip of his tequila then put it down. He placed the glass down elegantly, rested his arms on the table, and grinned happily at her.

All of this was amusing to him. None of it was annoying, worrying, or bothersome. He was loving every moment of their time together, Info-chan could see that perfectly.

The band switched the song to a slow jam, and things finally went quiet.

"I had no reason to lie to you about that."

Info-chan readjusted her glasses. "I've been working with a Yandere for a pretty long while now. I know how they act."

"Really? And what have you discovered?"

"Ayano Aishi is emotionless, deadpan. I've never once see her smile, or interact with people so well as you do. You seem completely normal to me, if not just an arrogant idiot."

Samuru brushed his silver hair out of his eyes, and laughed at Info-chan's rude remark. Nothing ever seemed to faze him, not even the most condescending of tones from her bothered him.

Then his blue eyes looked back at her. "If you live the way I lived, you realize exactly what is wrong with you from the very beginning of your life. I knew what I was at just the age of five."

"And?"

"And I've had a _long_ time to learn how to be normal." he answered with a slightly deeper tone. "Or, at the very least, fool myself into being so."

She didn't understand him.

This man was the most peculiar person she had ever met, and she was friends with Aishi of all people.

"You're weird." was all she felt like saying.

Samuru chuckled. "Well, it's not important anyway, is it? We have more pressing matters to think about, rather than how my brain ticks."

And then followed his ever-so-irritating smile.

It was the one thing she immediately noticed now that she was starting to spend time with Samuru. He always had that smile on, and it wasn't the kind that felt genuine.

It wasn't like it looked menacing, or was just a mockery of a real smile, it was something else. There was something about it that made Info-chan so incredibly frustrated and agitated.

The smile felt...calculating.

Every time she saw it, it seemed like Samuru knew exactly what she was going to say before she said it. Like he had already figured her out completely, and knew fully well what was on her mind at all times. An all-knowing smile that never faded when she talked to him. She truly hoped she was just imagining it, but there was no telling with such an oddball like this man.

Info-chan took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair.

She had stooped down to the level where she was spending time in a criminal bar with this fool, willingly. It was extremely off-putting.

But she really wasn't given much of a choice. This was business.

And this was also an opportunity to learn more about Samuru, even if they _did_ have more important things to worry about.

She wanted to see if he really _was_ a Yandere, or if he was just messing around with her. Because for all she had seen, he was an ordinary human being. She wanted to continue analysing him and understand him better, even if she despised him.

But business would come first.

"So," she sighed. "What's the actual reason you brought me here?"

Samuru's smile didn't go anywhere, but he looked a little more serious. He finished his drink and nodded his head.

"I'm sure you've already been introduced to my dear sister, Megami?"

"That's right."

"Well, she's been _very_ busy. She's gone around, factory after factory, and using the Saikou corps influence to make them burn to the ground. I have to admit that she's done a fine job of getting that dangerous drug out of the picture, but..."

"But?"

"Even _she_ has had trouble tracking down the man who started it all, Boss." Samuru said he started playing with his glass. "He's a sneaky little snake."

"She can't find one man, with all her power?"

"Just because she has Saikou corps under her heel doesn't mean she's good at what she does. She's a child, trying to play queen. Her inability to find Boss is her own lack of skill, not our company."

"Then why don't you just use Saikou corps yourself? You could've done the job without ever getting me involved."

Samuru shook his head.

His relaxed expression looked slightly troubled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes, that would make sense." he admitted. "But I'm afraid that's not an option."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not exactly...the heir to Saikou corps anymore."

Things went so silent for a moment that a distant cough from several tables away could be heard.

Info-chan lowered her head and removed her glasses, then glared straight at Samuru.

"What the hell does that mean…?" she hissed, suddenly fuming in anger. "I thought you were part of the Saikou family."

"I was, but I attacked the company itself for personal reasons. Megami used that to strip me of all my rights to Saikou corps, and take on its power all for herself. Technically speaking, I am _not_ part of the Saikou family anymore."

"What did you do…?"

Samuru's smile didn't change, but suddenly felt a little darker. "I killed our mother and father, the previous owners of the company."

"Wha-?"

His story made sense, but she was having trouble taking it all in at once.

It was slightly confusing to her the more she thought about it. This man was the heir to the most influential company ever seen, and was set to inherit it all, but threw it all away by murdering his own parents?

"But, I still have all of your previous contacts in my hands. It took me a long while, but I'm still at the stage where I can pull strings all across Japan. It's all thanks to the fact that you gave up your precious connections for just a little protection from the police."

His words sounded smug, and Info-chan would've loved nothing more than to order Ryusei to pummel him into a thousand pieces.

But she didn't. She couldn't.

She couldn't make him suffer. Not while the two of them were working together.

"True. I still need you." she concurred. "For now."

Samuru looked like he was about to say something.

But he then raised his chin and looked up. From the look on his face, he had spotted something.

She wanted to turn around and look as well, but Samuru gave her a stare that told her not to. Instead, he motioned down to their table, silently telling her that they needed to act normal and pretend to be focused on each other.

She remained silent for a few more seconds, then Samuru gave her a short nod.

"Talk, but whisper." he commanded, his voice full of authority. "Put on a smile. Make it look like we're having fun."

Info-chan did as he said. "Are you going to fill me in on what's happening right now?"

Her tone was pointed and hostile, but she spoke with a cheerful grin on her face.

Samuru made it look like he was laughing with her, but his tone was serious."We're being watched."

"By?"

"Our target. They're the reason I brought us here, my contacts have been telling me they come to this bar almost every day." he answered, his fake smile still bright on his face. "They're more careful than I thought, looking over their shoulder as we speak. They're looking for anyone out of the ordinary."

"Don't we already look out of the ordinary? You're a teenager in a suit surrounded by shirtless, middle-aged men."

"Yes, but I'm a regular here already. That person has seen my face around this place countless times before, it's not a surprise that I'm here again tonight." he explained, his eyes still trained on whoever was behind Info-chan. "But if we start acting unnatural..."

"Where are they, exactly?" Info-chan asked, fighting the urge to just look around herself.

"Three tables behind you. They're looking around themselves right now. Are they cautious, or do they know someone's on their trail…?"

"And who exactly is this person?"

"Akari Mitsuki. Female. Thirty seven years old. She worked at one of Boss' factories, as a messenger to his other workplaces. I was surprised to find out that even one of his people survived."

"How did she make it through Megami's destruction of everything Boss owned?"

"She must've felt that something was coming, abandoned ship before it sunk."

Info-chan put her glasses back on and looked slightly pleased. "You found someone connected to Boss already. You definitely have your uses."

"Ha, you honour me with your kind words..." Samuru laughed, though absent-mindedly. He was still focused on their target.

Info-chan heard the sound of a chair's legs screeching against the floor, and someone getting up from it.

Samuru also started getting up, straightening his tuxedo. Info-chan did the same, and finally looked around to see their target.

She was a tall woman, and good-looking. Short black hair, and was dressed rather elegantly with a blue dress. But her eyes looked tired, slightly black around the edges, and she was in a hurry to leave.

"Looks like her business here is done, or she's realized something isn't right." Samuru said as he began walking.

"We're tailing her?"

"Mhm," he hummed. "She's heading through the back door, follow me."

Info-chan scurried along behind Samuru, and her faithful bodyguards were immediately by her side as they chased their target.

That woman was their only current lead in their investigation.

They couldn't let her get away.

* * *

The sound of a door being kicked down echoed throughout the area.

"Hey, let...go of me…!"

The black-haired woman gasped as Info-chan's bodyguards grabbed and restrained her. Akari struggled several times, doing her best to put up a fight, but she was powerless against the bulky men in slick suits.

"Ryusei. Get her on her knees."

Info-chan's bodyguard did exactly that, and pushed the woman down until she knelt on he cold pavement.

Meanwhile, Samuru had been watching silently from the back. He had his smile still very much present on his face, unsurprisingly, and was allowing Info-chan to handle all the dirty work.

"You were a worker for Boss, weren't you?" she asked in a sharp, hostile voice.

"Boss? Who the hell is that?" the woman barked as she continued to struggle futilely.

"Don't waste my time, Akari Mitsuki."

"I'm telling you the truth, I don't know anyone by that ridiculous name!"

Info-chan groaned.

They had followed this woman through the entire underground metro, all the way up to the surface, and finally into this alley. Her bodyguards weren't fazed, but she was exhausted from travelling so far. She wasn't used to exercise at all, but she was only now realizing how bad it was for her.

And being so tired, she wasn't in the mood for lies.

"We have very reliable contacts telling us that you worked at one of his factories. Don't try to play dumb. In case you haven't noticed, we literally have you against the wall."

Akari shook her head frantically at Info-chan. "No, no…you have the wrong person. I'm just a housewife!"

She was starting to get more and more frustrated.

This woman obviously didn't understand who she was dealing with. Info-chan wasn't the kind of person to have a lot of spare time to kill, and had even less patience when it came to work.

"Ryusei. The gun." she commanded.

Her bodyguard obeyed and swiftly handed her a pistol he had concealed under his suit.

The gun felt heavy in her hands, and she realized she needed both hands to hold it properly. It was loaded as well, and Info-chan reloaded the gun and made it give that familiar clicking sound to let Akari know it.

Info-chan walked over to the kneeling woman and put the gun to her forehead.

"Are you going to talk, or am I going to have to blow your brains out?"

Her heart was racing inside her chest.

She had never done anything like this before, and it was all so strange and alien to her. Her grip on the pistol was weak, her hands were shaking involuntarily, and she could feel sweat underneath her own clothes.

She was not used to this.

And the woman immediately called Info-chan's bluff. "You're not going to shoot me."

"I will in a few seconds, if you don't tell me what I want to know." Info-chan persisted.

"You're just playing the bad guy," Akari's expression had changed slightly, going from a panicked look to a more smug one.

"We're in an abandoned alleyway. No one would hear the gunshot. _Tell me!_ "

"You won't do it."

Info-chan held the pistol firmly against the woman's head, pressing it down harder and waving her finger over the trigger.

But the woman didn't falter. She simply stared back at Info-chan, staring her down and not uttering another word.

Info-chan could feel her body burning up, sizzling in the feeling of complete fear. This wasn't her line of work, and her entire body was starting to shiver as she felt the weight of her gun. All of this business was terrifying, and even though she had done her best to pretend to be a part of it, she simply wasn't.

At this moment, Info-chan was just a scared highschooler.

She lowered her head and pulled back the gun, holding it loosely by her side.

This woman was right. She didn't have it in her.

Info-chan closed her eyes, feeling both fear and shame. "I...can't."

That was it.

She would have to bribe Akari with some money, she assumed. It would probably cost her a bit, but she really didn't have any other choice. Her bodyguards' contracts also stated that they wouldn't attack or kill anyone unless Info-chan herself was in actual danger.

Either way, she should've known this from the beginning. She would have to live with this.

"I can."

Info-chan's right hand suddenly felt a lot lighter.

She watched, almost in slow motion, as the gun pointed itself at Akari again.

And the deafening sound of a gunshot rang in Info-chan's ears, and the alleyway echoed it several times throughout its hollow path.

Akari screamed at the top of her lungs as her blood gushed into the air.

Info-chan slowly turned her head.

She saw Samuru holding her gun.

He had taken the gun from here and immediately shot Akari Mitsuki, all in the span of a single second. It happened all so fast that Info-chan had trouble processing it in time.

She looked down at Akari.

The woman was crying and howling out in agony, gripping her bloody foot. Her sandals had her feet completely exposed, and Samuru had shot off one of her toes. The toe, with bright red flesh stuck out at one end, lied lifelessly on the ground next to Akari. And she did nothing but hold onto her leg and screech as hard as her vocal cords could possibly allow.

She stared at Samuru in awe.

He wasn't even fazed.

He looked as calm as he did when they were sitting down together and having a drink. It was like what he just did wasn't of any importance whatsoever.

"Now then..." he chuckled as he knelt down next to the screaming woman.

He patted her on the back, then waited for her pain to slowly nullify.

After a minute or so, Akari finally stopped, though she was still whimpering miserably. Info-chan looked at the blood that had poured out of her foot and felt a little sick.

"There, there..." Samuru Saikou whispered softly and gently, giving a supportive vibe.

"You...you maniac!" Akari suddenly shouted, and tried to punch Samuru.

But the silver-haired man immediately leaned back, and laughed.

"No need for name-calling now. It's just...my friend and I here are on a _very_ strict schedule, we really need to know anything useful about Boss." he spoke so incredibly calmly. "Can't you help us out? Please?"

The woman paused. As though she was wagering her options.

But anger flared in her eyes. She wasn't putting on the act of an innocent bystander anymore, but was still refusing to tell them what she knew. The pain was seeping through her body and torturing her, so it was surprising to see that she had a strong will.

This was a horrible pain, but it wasn't going to break her.

"Go to hell..."

Samuru sighed, almost disappointedly.

"Well, then..." he grumbled, sounding completely defeated. "Guess who has two missing toes and is in a lot of trouble?"

Silence cut through the air for a moment.

Akari tilted her head in confusion, and raised an eyebrow.

"You only shot off one of my toe-"

Another gunshot echoed around Info-chan.

Info-chan watched in horror as more blood shot through the air, and small strips of flesh splattered against the wall behind Akari.

Her eyes widened, as though only the sound of the gunshot had scared her.

Then she looked down and saw another toe missing from her left foot.

Info-chan instinctively covered her ears as Akari began screaming again, crying this time as a stream of tears overflowed down her cheeks. She gasped and wheezed as she lied down on the ground and writhed on the cold cement, crawling up into a ball and shrieking the agony away. It was no use, she couldn't bear the pain, and she continued to cry and cry until her body simply couldn't produce any more tears.

"Oh my god..." Info-chan backed away slowly, and held on tightly to Ryusei's cold hand.

Samuru knelt down next to Akari again, still looking as relaxed as ever. He sighed again, like Akari had simply let him down.

Info-chan couldn't move. She was too afraid. She was no longer standing close to Akari anymore, trying to get answers.

This was Samuru's interrogation now.

"Come on, Miss Mitsuki. Why did you make me do that?" his tone was upset and hurt. "You're breaking my heart over here."

"I'll...I'll tell you…! Just please...stop!" the woman moaned in excruciating pain.

Samuru nodded. "Good. Tell me how to find Boss."

"I don't know...how to find him..."

"Ah," Samuru glanced at his pistol. "Maybe another toe will change your mind?"

" _No! Please!"_ Akari cried out desperately, like a wounded animal. "I...I really don't know...but I know someone...who d-does..."

Samuru's blue eyes didn't budge. "Name. Location. Details."

"His name is...Mr. Ronshaku..." she panted, as though she had let something incredibly heavy off her chest. "Works day...and night...at Ronshaku Loans...you've heard of him...right?"

"I have..." Info-chan spoke up, but immediately felt her body go cold. She couldn't build up the courage to say anything else.

But she remembered that name. Ayano Aishi had been involved with that man in the past, and caused him to lose a lot of money. She didn't know all the details about Ronshaku Loans just from that encounter alone, but the name was at least familiar to her thanks to Aishi's meddling with his business.

Samuru nodded, but still held the gun firmly in his hand. "That's his last name, what's his first?"

"He keeps that...a secret. Only his...closest men and family...know his actual name. Instead...he goes by...countless aliases…"

"What exactly does a loaner have to do with Boss, Miss Mitsuki?"

Akari's expression relaxed slightly. She was breathing extremely heavily, but she was a little more composed.

But it still looked like she was about to burst back into tears at any moment.

"A lot of Ronshaku Loans' money...is illegal...and Boss...would always get...a small cut of it..."

Samuru tilted his head. "Why?"

"I...don't know..." Akari lowered her head. "You'll...have to ask...him..."

Akari had her head pressed to the ground.

She had been completely defeated. Nothing but quiet whimpering came out of her after talking about the Ronshaku connection to Boss. Samuru and Info-chan waited for Akari to raise her head back up and say anything else, but a few moments later it was clear that this was all this woman knew.

Info-chan looked at Samuru.

Standing above Akari with superiority, she expected him to gloat. Maybe he would mock Akari, or humiliate her, or press his foot on her lowered head to establish dominance.

Instead, Samuru held out a hand for Akari.

He lifted her up by her right arm, and helped her stand up properly.

"That's all we need. Thank you, Akari Mitsuki." his smile was almost angelic. "You may go now."

Akari hesitated.

Her widened eyes darted between Samuru and Info-chan, then allowed her constant shivering to tone down slightly.

"I...I can go…?"

"Yes. We only wanted some information off of you. Just promise you won't tell anyone about this, and you're free to go."

"I...I _promise!_ " Akari immediately jumped onto Samuru's offer.

"Okay then," he chucked, then held out a hand motioning at the long alleyway. "On your way then, Miss Mitsuki. Have a nice day."

Info-chan was slowly calming down.

Her body was no longer frozen, and she could feel her heart beat normally again. She had been in slight shock up until now, but she was gradually recovering from it.

She gave a nod to Akari as the woman turned her back to them and started moving.

With her uninjured foot, she began hopping away.

It looked difficult, and quite painful, but she was managing to hop and skip along at a quick pace. The sounds of sobbing and gasping was coming out of her, however, and echoing throughout the alleyway. It was unpleasant for Info-chan to hear, and she felt bad for the woman, but at least this was the end of her suffering.

Info-chan heaved a nice, calming sigh, then looked at Ryusei.

"Alright men, let's head bac-"

One more horrible, deafening gunshot boomed around Info-chan.

It didn't hurt Info-chan's ears as much as the previous ones, but that was only because she had become used to its volume.

She was dazed, unsure where the shot at come from.

Her first instinct was to look at Akari Mitsuki. She didn't know why, exactly, but it felt like it was the first thing she needed to do.

She looked forward.

And only stared in confusion at Akari's corpse.

"What…?" was all she could manage.

There was a wound in the back of the woman's head, a large hole that had been drilled through her skull. A pool of blood had already surrounded her laid down head, and Info-chan could've sworn she saw a few small chunks of brain swimming in the pool as well.

Info-chan wondered if she was going to throw up. She felt so indescribably sickened.

But nothing came. She was utterly stunned.

She looked at her bodyguards behind her.

Even these men, who were as stoic as possible, looked unsettling by what they were looking at. They didn't say a word, not even Ryusei, but she could see how they were just as disturbed as her.

"What the hell...did you do?"

Samuru had his back to her, looking at Akari Mitsuki's body too. She couldn't see his face, or the gun in his possession.

"What did I do?" his tone was unreadable. "I disposed of a witness, that's all."

"You said she could go!"

"I was lying, Info-chan. Of course we couldn't let her go."

"Why?!"

"Because she would've immediately run over to Mr. Ronshaku warning him of our upcoming arrival."

"How are you so sure about that?"

The back of his head tilted to his left. "I'm not, but it's much easier to just be sure. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"You..."

She couldn't find the words.

"Now then, off to Ronshaku Loans!" he announced loudly and happily, like he had just won a prize.

Then he turned around.

And out of all the things that had happened that day, what she saw next was, without a single doubt, the most disturbing thing she had ever seen.

Once he turned around, she saw something she could never imagine was possible. It seemed otherworldly, or dream-like. It was something that you would never think you could see in real life, but only in some kind of messed up, sadistic fantasy.

Info-chan, in her line of work, and been witness to hundreds of terrible sights. She couldn't even begin if she tried counting every last thing that she had seen that was scarring to the human mind, it would simply be impossible to list off every last one. Even if she wasn't experienced in the criminal world, she was a veteran when it came to seeing things that no normal person would ever want to see.

But this.

She never expected to see it.

She never expected to see Samuru still smiling.

After all he had done, torturing and killing a woman in cold blood, he should've been at least slightly shaken.

But his iconic smile remained standing. It had never wavered throughout it all.

That's what Info-chan realized that she had been wrong about him.

She thought he was just an ignorant idiot, but still a normal human being.

Now she knew just how wrong she was.

How twisted did you have to be to keep smiling like that, even after murdering someone?

She stared at Samuru. No longer looking at him like he was human.

But like he was something else.

"Follow me, Info-chan." he commanded.

He held his hand out for her.

She didn't take it.

"We're going to do great things, you and I."


	43. Author's Note 6

**A/N**

Hi everyone, it's Zacaro again.

I know I haven't been heard in a while, and I want to explain myself. I haven't updated any of my stories for a long while, seemingly vanishing. The truth is I've been super exhausted as of late, constantly stressing about my studies and things going on at home.

My new, high-end PC also crashed and died a few weeks ago, causing me to lose all my saved chapters and chapters-in-progress, which was quite depressing. Turns out I was sold a faulty PC from the start, and now I'm spending most of my time trying to get HP to replace it entirely, fingers crossed on _that_.

I'm also preparing to move to a different country to live on my own for the first time, which is a stressful and time-consuming issue of its own.

I know that all of these are just excuses, but I wanted to let you know what exactly has been going on for me, and how my situation is currently playing out.

Now that I've gathered my bearings a bit, I'm going to start writing again for you, working all the way from scratch. However, because of my situation, I can't give an estimated time for when any of the future chapters are coming out, and they can take a very long time. I understand if this upsets you, and all I can possibly do is apologize.

I _do_ promise, however, that I will finish my ongoing stories of The Mind of a Yandere, The Demonic Duo, and Akame Ga Kill: The Twin Swords. These stories will be completed fully, but each chapter will take significantly longer to write until my schedule is a little less pressing on me.

During this period of time, all I can do is show my appreciation. To you, my reader, I thank you from the button of my heart. Your patience means everything to me.

That's all for now, until next time!


	44. No 36: The Occult

**Phew, hi there everyone!**

 **Sorry for the extremely long hiatus on this story, but I've finally pulled through to bring you the next chapter. Expect the next chapter in a much shorter time frame!**

 **I appreciate your patience throughout this long wait, and really hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It's been a while.

I lay flat on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. It's been a long time since I've had anything to do. Without school and without seeing Senpai, it's become very clear that I have absolutely nothing else to do with my life.

I glance at my phone, but the thought of using it passes by. I should call Info-chan to check for any news.

No, there's no point. She already said that she would be busy these next couple of days, and as much as that annoys me, there's not much I can actually do about that. Her annoyance is something I simply have to put up with sometimes.

It's been two weeks since the incident of Kizana Sunobu's 'accidental' death. Akademi High is still closed down, saying that they're improving their security and letting students have some time to mourn their terrible loss. A lot of people are still trying to come to the terms with her being gone, especially her parents. I heard that her mother was hospitalized after hearing the news, fainting or something.

It's a strange feeling, being happy about something that everyone else is crying about. It doesn't give me a sense of guilt, but it's definitely an odd thing to behold. I wonder if other people have experienced such a sensation before.

To me, just the fact that Kizana no longer breathes has taken a huge weight off my shoulders. It feels like everything in the world has colour again with that sleazy creep away from my Senpai.

I shuffle around in my pyjamas, feeling slightly uncomfortable. There's still something that's bothering me. Like a thought at the back of my mind, constantly pulling on the thresholds of my consciousness, demanding that I pay it some attention.

Nemesis.

Since our recent encounter, I haven't been able to stop worrying about her.

Not counting Megami, she is the biggest threat to me right now. She basically came out of nowhere, and almost ruined everything I've been working so hard for. Even now, I have no information on her or her origins. The only thing I really know is that she's working for Megami right now, and that's bad news for me.

It's fortunate that Nemesis is being hunted now.

After Kizana's death, I was immediately brought in for questioning.

The story was that I was at the top of the stage, managing the lights. The girl only known as Nemesis entered the school facility, made her way backstage, and then attempted to drop a stage weight onto the performance below. I was there and tried to stop her, but was overpowered and fell to the side, cut and bruised. This mysterious girl then proceeded to release the stage weight and kill a poor student that was directly underneath it.

With all my crying and wailing, it all came together into a story that everyone could understand. The fact that I'm known to be just a quiet, typical student, and the fact that Nemesis was seen fleeing the scene, laid the foundation for me to build my lie upon. It was incredible seeing how everyone ate it up without ever doubting me.

Even Nemesis' ceramic knife was found at the scene, with drops of my blood present on it. Every shred of evidence they could find all pointed at Nemesis.

And now, I'm seen as a heroic student who tried to prevent a terrible tragedy, while every unit of authority is doing their best to track down Nemesis and bring her to justice.

It's pretty funny.

I like the thought of Nemesis on the run, even at this very moment. She should suffer every second of every day to pay back how much she annoyed me. I hope they do eventually catch her as well, considering that it'll mean I don't need to worry about her anymore.

But if she's as resourceful as she seems, she won't be caught. She'll be around until I do something about it. I know full well that I haven't seen the last of her yet.

But for now, everything is fine. There may have been several complications that I hadn't expected, but in the end I still succeeded in keeping Senpai safe. The second that school opens back up and Senpai starts attending, we can finally begin spending our precious time together, not needing to worry about any more pests that could stop us.

I'll deal with Nemesis when the time comes. For now, I just want to be happy.

And that's exactly what I am.

Happy.

* * *

The breeze brushed against long strands of unkempt hair.

A girl shivers, her head lowered as the chilling breeze kissed the nape of her neck. She wasn't used to being outside, and it had been a long time since she had felt the touch of the real world.

She stepped forward, overwhelmed by the massive building looming over her.

Akademi High.

The school seemed bigger than she remembered it. A feeling of dread washed over her with every step, knowing that she didn't want to be here. She would've much rather stay at home than come to this place of inevitable terror.

She had watched the news nonstop since she had taken refuge at home. More than anyone, she knew of the horrors that lurked within this school, the plague of agony and death that surged through the veins of the building, haunting its hallways. There was something dark here, something far more terrifying than others were making it out to be. The girl feared that she would die like the rest of the poor girls who inexplicably lost their lives here, as though every second at Akademi High brought her closer and closer to her early end.

But she had no choice. She could only convince her parents to let her stay away for so long. She knew that she would eventually have to return, and step straight into the lion's mouth.

She timidly stepped through the main entrance, and was met by countless rows of lockers and students. Immediately, the social anxiety that the girl suffered from hit her in waves. She kept her head down the entire time she walked over to her locker, making certain that she never came into eye contact with a single student. It wasn't as though she was hiding from anyone either, considering how she was a ghost to everyone else, not even one other person noticed the silent girl's presence as she moved past them. Nothing about the girl stood out.

Perhaps if the girl tried to socialize more in her school life, these moments wouldn't be such nightmares to her.

But she couldn't. She could never relate to any of the other people at this school. She was almost completely alone.

Except for a select number of students.

She approached her locker, glancing to her left and right to make sure that no one was looking at her. It was only when she absolutely knew that no one was paying her any attention that she felt any kind of relaxation.

With a short gaze, she read the small black letters engraved on the front of her locker.

 **Oka Ruto**

She stared for a few moments, then went to open the locker up. Her weak grip met the handle, and she effortlessly opened up to see the contents inside.

All she saw in the large locker was several pencils and a small journal propped up against the interior's corner. It was all she ever usually brought to school besides her school books and other essentials. If she was to be completely honest, it was all she ever really needed. The journal was her life, keeping all of her most crucial findings all tidy in one document. If the information that she collected was to ever be lost, her entire world would be shattered.

She hastily grabbed the journal with both hands, holding it close to her chest. As she slid it into her bag, she heard the school bell ring, chiming out for everyone to hear its roar.

Snatching her bag and heading for the staircase, Oka rushed the moment the bell went off. She would go to class, but there was something she needed to do prior to that.

The staircase was already crowded by the time she reached it, and the atmosphere was thick. Students pushed past and came within inches of distance with her, not even noticing her for a single instant.

Oka lowered her head further and simply endured it, keeping her eyes closed for most of the way up the stairs. It felt hard to breathe, a claustrophobic response immediately taking its course on her. This was one of things she had dreaded most.

It was only for a few seconds, but for Oka it felt like an absolute eternity. When she reached the top of the stairs, the crowd dispersed into the corridors, and she heaved out an incredibly heavy sigh.

She was fine. She was fine.

With clenched hands, she strode down the left hallway, more comfortable in its spacious length. She stopped at the door to a club, turning around and seeing a single boy standing outside, leaning against the two doors that lead inside.

The boy's look seemed vacant, looking forward but seemingly staring at nothing but air. His expression changed slightly as Oka approached him, but still retained most of its vacancy and blankness.

"Welcome back, Club President." he spoke without much effort, but gave a polite bow.

Oka stared at the boy.

Shin Higaku. He was the second-in-charge of her beloved club, and the first member that it ever had. While she was keeping her distance from Akademi High, he had offered to take care of the club in her absence. She wouldn't task such a thing to any other student, not with how much she cared for the Occult Club, but she trusted Shin a substantial amount. He was devoted to her club and would not betray her.

"Thank you, Shin." she responded, and looked down to see him holding out his right hand, a small key nestled in his palm.

She took the key, feeling its smooth texture and cold touch. It was still polished and shining.

Shin gave another bow and walked away, already late for class. Oka knew she needed to hurry to class as well, but she had to do one thing beforehand.

Using the key, she opened the doors to the Occult Club, and slowly stepped inside.

The lights were off, but a faint light lingered in the darkness. One candle had been left lit and it illuminated the very corners of the room in a majestic glow. It all felt so nostalgic to her, being able to enter this room once again. The last time she was even here felt like a distant memory, even though this place was essentially her home.

She wandered over to the dimly visible table in the centre of the room, floating through the darkness like she was in a lucid dream. It was almost instantaneous how relaxed and at peace she felt here. This was the haven she had built for herself within Akademi High, a haven where she knew she would always be safe in.

The girl traced her fingers along the edge of the table, feeling the soft silk draped over it. There was a skull on the table, hollow and unsettling. A knife stood sticking out of the skull, looking like it was going to slip out at any moment. A lot of people were turned away by this particular…'decoration', but Oka refused to ever remove it from the club or hide it somewhere; it was an essential part of the Occult Club as a whole.

Everything seemed in place, even the large stacks of books in the other corner of the room. Shin had made sure that everything was exactly where it should've been for her arrival, and she very much appreciated that. A part of her worried that the order of the books might've been changed, or one or two books would be missing from the collection, but every single one was exactly where it should've been.

The last sounds of footsteps from the outside died out, and Oka realized that she was running late now. She needed to race to the classroom if she didn't want to face a punishment.

She spun on her heel and hurried out, quickly looking back at the club room as she exited it.

It was only one session of class until she could come back, but that itself would be like an eternity.

Her eyes remained glued to the room.

She sighed.

* * *

The moment she entered the classroom, she was immediately put at unease. Students chatting and crowding the room from front to back. It was chaotic, frantic, and she didn't like the atmosphere one bit.

She felt a bit of relief when the teacher entered and settled everyone down. All the noise booming through the room finally dissipated, allowing Oka to actually hear her own thoughts over the sound of others. There were still a few mumbles and audible giggles floating around, but it came to an end the second the teacher properly started the lesson.

Oka glanced down at the notebook resting on her desk. Everyone else was already focused solely on the lesson and nothing else, but her mind wandered to different places as she began reading her notes.

She could never focus on class, regardless of her countless attempts. All of this was simply boring to her. None of it ever correlated with her interests. If there was something that at least had something to do with her hobbies, anything at all, then perhaps her school life wouldn't have been so empty and tiring.

She gazed up, and saw the teacher speaking. The words coming out of her mouth was audible, yet they felt so distant to Oka. It was like she couldn't hear anything.

Instead, she pulled out her journal. With the teacher so focused on writing things on the chalkboard, Oka was able to read the book while keeping it concealed under her desk.

Out poured all of her notes, every last detail of her literature. She first skimmed over to her various sketches. Sketches of demons said to be the Generals of hell, countless supernatural creatures said to give those who strike a contract with them any wish that they desired. Tales of these demons were vague and inconclusive, so Oka had taken the liberty of drawing what they could've possibly looked like.

She turned the page to a large-sized, sketchy depiction of several hands sticking out of the ground, reaching out for the sky above. The hands' fingers were bloody, and the nails broken or torn. The flesh of the hands were coloured in a grey and white texture, looking dead and desolate. Oka couldn't recall when she drew this one, but it impressed her just how well she had drawn the details of this demon. Whenever she dedicated herself to something, she could achieve things that surprised even herself.

A student got up from their desk and walked past Oka. She quickly flipped the journal shut and watched as the student passed her. She was so engrossed in her notes that she almost didn't see the person coming. It would've been a disaster if anyone ever saw the things she had written or sketched down on this, word would've spread immediately.

She had nothing to be ashamed of, but she knew just how judgemental other people could be. It wasn't like she had a very good reputation in the first place, so she didn't want to ruin it even further. Even if she always did her best at not showing it, it hurt when people bad-mouthed her. The words could always cut deep and bring her pain.

Seeing the student slowly walk back to their seat, Oka slid her journal back into her bag. It was a little too risky to be reading all these things in class, it would be wise to just have a look at the rest during recess.

She started paying attention to what the teacher was saying.

"For the next section, we're going to need the information from the second book." the teacher spoke, looking around while holding one book in her left hand. "Which is…"

The teacher glanced at the different books laid out on her table, but eventually raised an eyebrow.

"Guys, do you remember where I left the second book? It's green, with yellow stripes?"

None of the students answered. They all simply stared back at her.

"Great, I must've left in the teachers' lounge." she sighed, putting down her piece of chalk and notebook. "Everyone settle down and wait until I get back."

Oka watched silently as the teacher left the room.

The classroom instantly boomed in volume. Students got up and stood next to each other, hungrily eager to continue their conversations whenever they were allowed.

Oka sighed as the silence that she was fond of disappeared. She dreaded whenever the teacher needed to leave for a moment, since people would suddenly get loud again. All she could simply do was put her head on her desk, close her eyes, and wait until the teacher came back.

"Hey, hey," a foreign voice chuckled. "Look who it is!"

The voice sounded like it was gradually getting closer.

Oka raised her head up and looked at the source.

Two boys were approaching her desk, while a small crowd of amused students followed loosely behind them.

The boys came closer, and one even put his right hand onto her desk. She stared with a blank expression as they both began chuckling mindlessly.

"Oka Ruto." one of the boys sneered, showing an ugly mouth that had been previously hidden well. "You finally decided to come to school, huh?"

She recognized these people. She knew them well.

This was the result of her reputation. It wasn't always this terrible, but a recent incident from last year brought it down to its current level. It was one stupid mistake of leaving her journal open beside her in the cafeteria, but it was all that was needed for the entire school to find out and laugh about.

They never found out about her research into her more supernatural interests, but the thing that they did find out about was…

"Hey, Oka. Tell us, did you ever found out the Basu sisters' secret?" the other boy snickered hysterically, leaning in slightly and laughing at her.

"Are they zombies? Aliens? Maybe even lizard people!" his friend cackling in absolute delight, only laughing harder when he saw Oka's emotionless expression towards him.

They were gradually drawing in the attention of others. Other students started to circle around her desk as well, listening in on the jokes that the two boys were making. Some laughed along with the boys, while others simply watched in the background and whispered to each other. There were people who were doing their best not to smile or chuckle.

But no one came to her aid.

Oka knew that this was her fault. This had started ever since last year, and hadn't died out yet. This was all because she chose to let her guard down, she allowed herself to get comfortable in public, and that was exactly when people learnt about her secrets. If she had just been more cautious…

"I heard you actually stalk those two girls." the boy's voice perked up, looking around to see if others were paying him attention.

A girl, previously quiet, had a smug look on her face. "I heard she follows the sisters into the bathroom!"

The students laughed, enjoying their mindless fun.

But Oka could hardly breathe.

Her chest tightened and the thick air around her felt suffocating. She wasn't showing it on the outside, but all of this bullying was slowly breaking her down. All she wanted was one day where no one picked on her and just left her alone, only to find out that even that was too much to ask for. Her entire world was closing off and sealing itself around her, choking her into a tiny, confined space where she felt like she would be crushed at any moment.

"God, how disgusti-"

Just before one of the students could finish their sentence, the teacher burst in with a textbook held carefully in both hands.

"I'm back, people!"

The teacher glanced at the centre of the room, and her left eyebrow shot up immediately.

"What are you doing out of your seats?"

It didn't take the students another second to quickly spin on their heels and hurry to their desks. It was incredible how fast they listened and obeyed, dispersing away from Oka Ruto's seat in almost an instant.

The teacher still had an eyebrow raised as she moved from the back of the classroom to the front, staring at various students during the ominous silence. She moved like a serpent through the gaps between the row of desks and her stare lingered on everyone that she walked past.

Oka Ruto had her head down the entire time, and did not notice the teacher reach the front of the room and begin teaching again.

The words didn't reach Oka. The world around her didn't reach Oka.

Her head only hung silently in defeat.

The teacher had returned fast enough for the situation not to escalate any further, but it was enough to break Oka down and make her numb. There wasn't a single person that cared about her, or related with her, she was certain of that. She was a freak. A freak that was completely and utterly alone.

Whispers still echoed through the classroom, just audible for Oka to hear.

But she didn't hear any of it. She didn't want to.

She simply kept her eyes closed, and wiped away the moisture on her cheeks.

And waited for it all to end.

* * *

The soft texture of the long grass brushed against the girl's skin as she sat down.

Oka looked at the ground beneath her. Her face was still hot and flushed from before, and she knew that that wouldn't change for a good while. She originally planned to spend the recess in the Occult Club room, but in her current mood, she didn't want to be anywhere near Akademi High for now.

She had chosen to sit outside, near the entrance of the school, and just read one of her ghost story books. Rarely did anyone come out spend their time in this area, as far as Oka knew, so she thought this would be the best place to clear her head.

She had to admit, she loved the atmosphere that the place possessed. The lush, pink blossom cherry trees were a delight to behold, and they quickly instilled a sense of calmness and security with their soft and gentle colour. Despite being more of an indoors' person, she was surprised that she hadn't come to this area sooner. This was the perfect place to sit down and read her notes in peace.

It didn't help with her mood, however. She wanted to be happy, but there was nothing inside of her at that moment besides crushing emptiness. Her classmates were really starting to get to her more and more with each passing day. She often thought about telling a teacher or talking to the school counsellor. It was only when she realized that doing such a thing would only escalate her problem that she decided against it. Even so long after people found out about her secret, students would still do things like spread false rumours, leave incredibly crude letters in her locker, or secretly slip embarrassing notes on her back whenever her attention was elsewhere.

She could recall of these occasions so wearily well, despite not wanting to remember a single one.

All she could do was keep her head hanging low and endure it. The world just wanted her to suffer, and she had come to terms with that fact a long time ago.

She wouldn't drop her research either, however. The damage was already done to her reputation, but she could still clear her name once she found out more about the Basu sisters. There was no doubt in her mind that she was on to something, and it wouldn't be long until she uncovered those wenches' secret. She knew that they were hiding something, something that they thought no one would ever unravel, but Oka was up and ready for the challenge. Even if it didn't clear up her name, she had come too far to stop her research into those peculiar creatures.

This was the line of work she chose. She rubbed her eyes with the long sleeves of her jacket and tried to dry out her moist face. Her eyes were a little red, still showing evidence of her crying, but she was just thankful that the crying had finally stopped. She needed to have more faith in herself.

"Oh, Oka…Ruto?"

The girl froze.

She heard a voice calling out to her. It did not sound familiar.

With hesitation, she began looking at and staring at a boy standing above her. There was a moment of complete silence as the girl looked at the ordinary student, failing to recognize him from anywhere.

He had short, black hair, and a very calming gaze. As far as Oka could tell, his normal looks simply fit in with most other boys in the school. It wasn't a wonder why she didn't feel like she had ever seen him before.

She had a small frown, using it to mask her shy nature. "Yes…?"

"Uh, um," the boy stuttered for a second, holding a book behind his back. "Hi, I'm Taro Yamada. I just came over here because this is the spot where I usually read…"

Oka had been slightly taken aback. She hadn't noticed that other people spent their time in this area. She was sure that she was the only one.

"S-Sorry, do you w-want me to move?" she asked, feeling goosebumps pop up on the edges of her skin.

She was not used to talking to anyone besides the Occult Club members, and she was only just now realizing that her communication skills were quite terrible.

"No, it's fine! When I saw you sitting here, I thought I'd just sit somewhere else, but…"

Oka blinked.

"But?"

"Well," Taro chuckled in embarrassment. "I…couldn't help but notice the book you were reading."

Oka blinked again, looking at the boy blankly.

She glanced down at the book, still resting in her hands. She had selected one of the best books that she knew of, one that was a classic in her eyes. It surprised her that someone else would ever have been able to recognize it at this school, even other readers.

Taro still had a shy smile on his face.

"The Haunting of Hill House, right? I love that book!"

Oka watched as the boy excitedly laughed, seemingly overjoyed that she was reading such a story.

"Y-Yes…" she responded, still in disbelief.

"Oh man, that's one of the best ghost stories out there! Wouldn't you say the same?"

A smile of her own slowly found its way onto Oka's face.

Someone was paying attention to her, and not just to bully her because of her reputation. This boy was actually interested in the book she was reading, and by extension, her.

"Y-Yes! It's…one of my favourites!" she blurted out, still stuttering but speaking better than she had done before.

Taro chuckled again. "You mind if I see it?"

Oka nodded in happily, and held the book out for him to take. If he hadn't finished the book yet, she wanted to be the one to show him just how chilling and frighteningly gripping the story could be.

But to her shock, Taro walked closer to her, and carefully sat down next to her on the grass.

Something felt like it was burning up inside of her as he came so close to her. He didn't come into contact with her, and his gaze was focused solely on her book, but she felt so close to the boy that at any second she would start to find it difficult to breathe. She was far too close to another student.

But…that feeling of dread didn't come.

She expected herself to have all of the terrible, suffocating feelings of being in close proximity to someone else, but nothing of the sort happened. There was still some kind of burning sensation inside of her, but as Oka began to focus on it, it felt like something else entirely. She didn't feel threatened by the boy, and her heart was pounding in a different way than it did if she was scared.

The boy brushed a strand of his hair out of his eyes and looked at Oka. His deep, absorbing eyes met hers with a sense of tranquillity.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Oka paused for the longest time, not saying a single world.

Her heart throbbed strangely. She didn't understand it. It worried her and made her want it to stop, but also for it to stay at the same time.

But his eyes calmed her immediately, and she couldn't help but want him to stay and keep talking to her.

"No…" she shook her head.

She smiled again, and even a quick, uncharacteristic giggle escaped her.

"Not at all."


	45. No 37: The New Hunt

**Hello, all you beautiful people! It's time for the next chapter!**

 **Special thanks to Malfel, NotJinxandJawz, gameguy 221, and JR0005 for following/favouring this story. You're the best.**

 **The next chapter will once again be one of the Special chapters, so I hope you look forward to that.**

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Taro stepped into the library.

He made sure his footsteps were silent, treading carefully along over to the librarian.

The library was chilly, and goosebumps immediately found their way onto his skin. He shivered for a second and kept walking, only slowing down to look at the many students reading quietly, either at tables or on the several beanbags.

Some students had engrossed themselves in classic novels, whilst others diligently studied different kinds of textbooks. Taro felt sheepish looking, being a little embarrassed that he hadn't been reading that many books recently, while seeing other children reading like there was no tomorrow.

There was a reason for that, however.

Taro smiled as his eyes met the librarian, and he politely handed the book he had borrowed back to him. The librarian gave a quick, dismissive nod before looking down at a report laid out on the table. Taro had never actually talked to him before, despite seeing each other almost every day, and it seemed like today wasn't going to be any different.

But that was alright. Taro didn't feel alone.

Not since he made a good friend just a few days ago.

It came as a surprise to him, to find someone so into the kind of stories he was into. He ran into his new friend by complete accident, but he was glad that he was lucky enough to do so. These last couple of days had been some of the most fun he had in awhile.

Oka Ruto took some time to warm up to Taro and he had been able to tell that for the first few times they talked that she was nervous, but thankfully they seemed to have moved past that now. They had reached the point where they would find each other during each lunch break and talk all about the latest ghost stories that they loved.

She was so like-minded to him. He still barely managed to believe it sometimes. Everything she had to say about any story was exactly how he felt too. Her favourite scenes, characters, settings and everything else was always his favourites too, without fail. It was as though they were kindred spirits, only now finding out just how much like each other they were.

Talking to someone about something you both love is one of the most fun things to do, without question. Now that Taro had found out how great it could be, he couldn't find himself able to stop.

Oka was rather kind too. He noticed how politely she spoke, and how she would always lend him books that he was eager to read, even if he never asked her in the first place. As far as he could tell, she was a nice person in general.

Taro blinked.

He realized he had been spacing out in the middle of the library, and a few people were starting to look at him.

With a very quiet chuckle, Taro turned on his heel and left the room.

He was planning to see his friend again after school. There was a great café that he knew of and had invited her to; he expected that they'd have an even better time talking about the latest book to be obsessed over in the quiet café.

Despite his excitement, Taro felt slightly guilty for being in such a good mood. It had only been a while since the last tragedy at Akademi High.

He should've still been mourning the death of Kizana Sunobu, as he had been doing for several weeks. The two of them had never really talked that much but he could recall a few conversations they had with each other over the course of the school year.

To think that she had fallen victim to a terrorist's attack was horrifying to even think of anymore. Every time he thought of that day, he shivered in sheer fright.

Akademi High had lost so many good students.

Even his own sister.

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

He doesn't think about that anymore. The therapist told him that it would drive him mad if he did.

Now he had a friend, a proper friend. That was all he was focused on now. She was one of the closest people to him, and in such a short amount of time he could already see their friendship flourishing. His life had been enriched.

He quickly descended down the stairs and down to the first floor, knowing that it was about time to head to class; the bell would be ringing at any moment.

However, as he was making his way through the corridor, something felt off to him. He stopped and turned around for a moment, scanning his surroundings. It felt as though something was right behind him, almost close enough to breathe on the back of his neck, but he saw no one.

Taro gave a nervous laugh and rubbed his neck, then continued to head to his class.

He had been experiencing the feeling a lot lately.

Of something watching him.

Or someone.

* * *

Things have become complicated.

One pest falls, another rises up.

School has started, and that means getting to see Senpai a whole lot more. I was slowly being driven insane by not seeing him for so long, making me the most eager I had probably ever been.

And while I did get to see his handsome, gorgeous face once again, it was soured by the sight of something else.

My Senpai has been spending time with another girl.

It's a girl I know very little about, basically nothing at all. Her face isn't familiar, her name doesn't ring any bells, and I have no idea why Senpai has taken such a liking towards her. This isn't one of those times where some filthy girl is chasing after him, but rather…he's been pursuing her consistently. He's willingly spending time with someone else besides me, choosing to have her company over mine.

He doesn't even realize how big of a mistake he's making, does he?

I don't know who this girl is, but I do know that she is only trouble. She doesn't love Senpai as much as I do, no one does. If she thinks she can just get close to my Senpai and steal him from under my nose, she most certainly has another thing coming. I've proven it before, and I'll do it again. Anyone that tries to take Senpai away from me will suffer.

Just seeing the two of them together, spending each day under the cherry blossom trees outside…

It makes my blood boil. It makes me feel absolutely sick.

Why can't Senpai and I just be left alone?

If people would just stay away from him, things would be so much better. I wouldn't have to suffer the pain and agony of seeing him with others, and other people wouldn't have to die. Isn't this in everyone's best interest?

My breathing starts to get heavy. I gulp down and put my hand on my chest. It takes a few moments for my heartrate to return to normal. My face feels slightly sweaty and flushed.

It's fine, I need to remain calm. I don't know anything about Oka yet, so it's best if I try to understand what I'm dealing with here. Perhaps if she's just a loner, I can find a way to steer her away from Senpai without any trouble. More than anything, I just need to focus.

I lean my head back from the corner I was watching Senpai from.

The bell rings, and the corridors almost immediately become full of students, rushing over to class.

I only have a small window before I'll be forced to attend class as well. My hands quickly reach for my phone as I walk over to the school lockers, conceal myself in a crowd of people, and call the contact saved onto my phone.

It rings twice before they pick up.

"What's up?" I hear Info-chan's voice chime.

I hold the phone close and lean against my locker. "There's someone else I need information on."

"Oh? Who's that?"

"A girl called Oka Ruto."

The line falls silent for a short moment.

When Info-chan starts speaking again, it's with a tone of slight curiosity that I've come to usually expect.

"Oka Ruto? She's a nobody. Why are you asking about her?"

"I think you know why."

Info-chan clears her throat. "Oh my, is Oka going after your precious Senpai?"

"You sound surprised."

"I guess I didn't expect that from Oka, of all people. She's a timid and quiet girl, never really establishing a place for herself in our school. Barely anyone even knows her, considering how much she keeps to herself."

"I want details, Info-chan. Send me a message with everything you have on her."

"Sure, I can do that." I hear her agree quickly, then shuffle around for a bit. Her voice becomes quieter through the line. "But…uh…"

"But?"

"It's a good thing you called, actually. I had some things I wanted to tell you."

I hold the phone away and look around.

Everyone is still taking their time getting to class, and I'm still surrounding by plenty of students by their lockers. I probably have a few minutes left before the corridors start to clear out.

I bring the phone back to my ear. "Tell me, then."

"Well, I've been a little busy with a particular set of work. I can't really explain all of it in one call, but I'm having…assistance with a member of the Saikou family."

"A Saikou…?" I hiss in a whisper, feeling my own expression slowly contort into a frown. "You're working with an enemy of mine?"

"Now, now. It's not what it sounds like. It's not Megami." Info quickly tries to reassure me. "It's someone who wants her out of the picture just as much as you do, from what I've seen."

I hope she's telling the truth.

I almost know nothing about the Saikou family, despite the fact that they're wealthy and influential, but just my experiences with Megami alone have given me plenty of hatred for both her and anyone who shares her blood. Ever since that day she tortured me like an animal, I made an oath to myself to burn down everything she has, her business and family at the top of the list.

Info-chan can work with the Saikou member for now, I don't care, but that won't stop me from eventually making them suffer. I'll do anything I can to have revenge against that damned Megami.

"Why are you telling me all this?" I ask.

Info-chan sighs. "In the line of work I'm currently in, I don't like my odds very much. Tomorrow we're going to be going deeper in, and it's starting to worry me. If I suddenly go silent, know that I probably-"

"…are dead or missing, yeah." I cut Info-chan off, not bothered to hear her ramble on. I get the jest of it.

"Yeah…"

"You haven't told me what this 'work' even is, though."

"I'll…tell you some other time. For now, just do your thing. I'll be in contact, probably."

The line cuts off as Info-chan hangs up.

I'm left with a short moment to think about Info-chan has told me.

At least now I have a better idea of why I don't hear much from her anymore, it looks like she's gotten her head deep in more business. I don't know what she's getting herself involved with the Saikou family out of all people, so that's concerning, but I'm doubtful that she's working with them to be against me. She's in this with me.

And there's the fact that she told me about it. If she was conspiring against me, she wouldn't just come out and tell me like this. She's working alongside a Saikou, but it's not Megami. I wonder what for.

Maybe I'll know more in the future, but this is all Info-chan has decided to give me. I don't like how vague she's being. I don't like being left in the dark.

I'll make sure to look further into this later.

But for now, there are far more important things at hand.

* * *

"W-We weren't expecting any visitors…"

The moment I opened the doors, I'm greeted by a skinny and frail-looking boy. His skin looks a bit more pale as I take a few steps into the room.

"Is this the Occult Club?" I ask him simply.

"U-Um, y-yes…" he answers weakly. "I'm the vice President of the Club, Shin Higaku…"

"So, can I take a look around?"

His eyes dart around aimlessly. "W-Well, I don't know if-"

"Your doors were open. I'm assuming it's fine, then."

"I…"

It looks like he's trying to say something in protest, but I'm not in the mood to listen to his mumbling any longer. I waltz into the room and stand in the centre, taking in a good look at my surroundings. There's the smell of incense that immediately became present, and I feel as though the place is a little dusty, but there doesn't seem to be anything special about the room.

There is a vibe, however.

I put my hands on my hips and look to the left and right.

There's a feeling lurking in here, an unsettling one. It's strange considering there's nothing actually here to make me feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it's just the whole premise that this room is based around of that gives it this...particular atmosphere.

I don't really like it.

"So, where is your Club President?" I ask of Shin without turning around to look at him.

I move over to the bookshelf in one of the corners. My index fingers trace on the spines of the endless row of books, feeling the dusty and rocky texture that they possess. Some of these have names I don't even understand. I thought I would see at least one book that could be vaguely recognized from somewhere, but every single one of them is a complete anomaly to me.

"She's…not here at the moment…" Shin stutters his way through his response. "I'm left in charge when she's not here…"

"When will she be here?"

Shin pauses and raises an eyebrow. "Tomorrow, first break. Are you…looking to join the Club…?"

"Hm," I hum to myself.

My last experience joining a Club was not a particularly pleasant one.

And I have absolutely no interest in anything supposedly supernatural. I can tell that this Occult Club is just filled with students that have nothing better to do than sit around and talk about foolish make-believe. From the angle that I see it, this Club is nothing more than a complete waste of time, and baseless superstitions always did irritate me for some reason.

But at the same time, I need to know more about this 'Oka Ruto'. I can't go asking around about her, that has the chance of raising some sort of suspicion towards me. The only accurate information I can get is from interacting with her face-to-face. Info-chan should be sending me a document with most of Oka's personal information, but I have a feeling that's not going to cut it. My judgement from seeing her myself will give me a much better idea of the girl getting all chummy with Senpai.

"I'm thinking about it." I admit to Shin, moving away from the bookshelf. "I'll give you an actual answer when I've made up my mind."

"That's good, we could always use more members."

I turn to the boy.

He's a rather fidgety one, standing in one corner and playing with a short strand of his hair. I can tell that he's someone of authority for this Club, but he doesn't seem any more than a simpleton that just allows his leader around. It's highly doubtful that he'll be able to show or tell me anything interesting. He also talks way too slow, it's pretty annoying.

Someone like this honestly just seems like a waste of my time. He won't be able to help me.

"Thank you for letting me see your Club, Shin Higaku. I might be back tomorrow." I mutter without any trace of enthusiasm.

"That's good…we're hoping for more members, actually…"

A smile pops onto my face to use as a mask as I leave the room. I expect Shin to follow me out, but he remains there and stares as I close the door behind me.

The smile drops the second the door is closed, and my breathing becomes suffocated by its own rapid pace.

It's gradually becoming more and more difficult to hold back my growing rage. I've tried to keep it bottled up and everything, but it's proving to be more of a challenge than I thought.

Oka Ruto is a complete mystery to me, yet she's the one person on the planet that I despise the most now. The images I saw of her standing beside Senpai, my Senpai, continue to flash in my mind over and over in a relentless spiral. My stomach feels unsettled and goosebumps pop up on the edge of my skin just thinking about that sight.

Why.

Why can't they just leave Senpai alone?

Why must there always be someone else, someone to ruin everything that I work so hard at every day?

I just want him to be mine.

But Oka wants to take him away. She wants to tear away all that I've done so far and throw it in the trash. She's threatening to shatter my world into a thousand pieces.

That's not going to happen.

I've come too far to stop now. All of my efforts and all of the people that I've killed mean something, they will forever stand as a stature of my determination, of my never-dying love for Senpai. They all pose as the symbol of my accomplishments as a caring lover for Senpai.

Oka will be the next to learn about this undeniable fact.

She will see very soon.

She won't shatter my world.

I will shatter her world instead.


End file.
